I don’t get at all why ‘being a decent person’ is so damned hard for managers. Go back to kindergarten, learn the f*ing golden rule. Come back to the office with a modicum of empathy, and treat people like people! If a report is having a rough time, then be kind, offer support and flexibility, and listen to them when they tell you what they need. It’s just not that difficult to lead from a place of shared humanity, and what little effort it does take is one of the most profitable investments you will ever make.