The Empathy Advantage

Two major transformations that were decades in the making came to head in the pandemic. First, we now have a changed relationship between individuals and organizations because of a now empowered workforce. The pandemic was an existential crisis that put into sharp focus the fragility of life and saw a merger of our personal and professional lives; we finally have agency over both, solidified by the trust and autonomy bestowed upon workers during long months of work from home mandates. As a result, we have an imperative to humanize work. 

Second, decades of digital disruption have brought us to an increasingly complex and interdependent global economy where the simple models of the past have less and less relevance every day. Those models, now, are a liability rather than a guide. Most leaders don’t have all the skills and knowledge anymore and must rely on their teams who do have unique contributions and capabilities.

These two transformations require four shifts to leadership.

• Mindset. From managing people and processes to enabling success. The team doesn't work for you anymore, you work for the team—their success is your success.

• Culture. From peers as competitors to peers as collaborators. That unique knowledge across the organization requires effective collaboration rather than fierce competition.

• Approach. From extrinsic pressure to intrinsic motivation. You are not going to get your people to learn and adapt at the speed, scale and scope you need through punishments, threats, and rewards—it simply will not work. You need to help them tap into their own internal motivational fuel source so that they become self-propelled. 

• Behavior. From myopically driving productivity with domination or fear to creating effectiveness through inspiration, caring, empathy, and love.