"Have you ever noticed someone in power who seems rather indifferent to the opinions of others? Perhaps you've witnessed a leader who doesn't seem tuned in to the experiences of the people they lead. It's not just your imagination, and it may not be that the person was always like that. Instead, it appears that having power actually impairs a person's ability to empathize. If that isn't concerning enough, people are unaware of this power-induced tendency in themselves, thus falling victim to a blind spot."
"Our brains are equipped with what are known as mirror neurons. These neurons are stimulated by seeing, hearing, or even imagining someone doing something. It could be physical activity, body language, or a facial expression that stimulates corresponding mirror cells as an observer. That stimulation provides an internal sense of what another person is experiencing. Research suggests that people in power may have decreased stimulation of their mirror neurons when interacting with those who have less power."
Having power impairs a person's ability to empathize and reduces awareness of other people's perspectives. People are often unaware of this power-induced tendency and thus possess a blind spot. Increased power is associated with decreased activation of mirror neurons, which ordinarily help observers internally simulate others' actions, expressions, and feelings. People in power also tend not to mimic those with less power, eliminating another unconscious route to understanding others. These neurobehavioral changes make leaders less tuned in to subordinates' experiences. Leaders who fail to take others' perspectives face disadvantages, but strategies can mitigate the power-empathy bias.
Read at Psychology Today
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