What happens when you treat frontline hourly workers like mission-critical professionals? In this episode, I sit down with Amrit Dhaliwal, CEO of Walfinch, to explore what empathetic leadership really looks like in the real world—and how it can become your competitive advantage.
Amrit shares the lessons he’s learned building businesses from scratch, including a restaurant, a tea room, and multiple home care companies. We talk about the messy middle of leadership: building trust, hiring for mission over money, and solving real human problems like payday loans and car repairs—not with sympathy, but with action. Whether you’re running a franchise or managing a sales team, Amrit shows how the best leaders don’t just show up with KPIs, they show up with care.
If you want to hire better, sell with more integrity, and build high-performing teams who stick around, this episode is a must-listen.
How to lead with empathy and performance
Start with empathy, but don’t stop there. Use it to understand what motivates your team—and then align that with your business goals.
Solve problems that matter. Helping an employee get out of a payday loan trap might do more for retention than another bonus scheme.
Hire for values, not just skills. Look for people who would do the job for free (but pay them well).
Reframe your incentives. Reward long-term results, not just quick wins—especially in recruitment and sales.
Don’t accept poor margins as an excuse. Amrit shifted Walfinch to focus on private-pay clients to create space for better staff pay and service.
Timeline summary
[02:22] – What Amrit learned about leadership running both a deli and a care agency
[05:06] – The surprising story that changed how he supported his staff
[06:26] – “Empathy isn’t just feelings, it’s problem solving”
[08:49] – Why Walfinch moved away from local authority funding—and how that helped
[10:08] – How to hire people who would do the job for free (but still pay them well)
[13:12] – Building a sales process around long-term trust, not short-term gain
[15:09] – Why care sector recruitment isn’t broken—it’s just not high enough volume
[16:08] – The value of having ex-care workers do recruitment
Links & resources
Amrit’s book: Time to Thrive: The Home Care Revolution
Amrit’s podcast: Walking with Walfinch
- YouTube
- X (formerly Twitter)
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