How To Lead With Empathy
A new breed of CEOs is defined less by “command and control” and more by
“inspire and empower.”
My first boss was a bully. Just before I
started working for him, a rumor circulated that he’d once thrown a desk out
the window. Maybe the story was apocryphal, but it didn’t feel that way to
those of us under his thumb. He would yell and curse. We were all afraid of him.
As unpleasant as it was, though, I have to admit that the fear was a powerful
motivator.
But there are other, better ways to get a
team to perform. In today’s business world, bullying tactics are increasingly
backfiring (case in point: Travis Kalanick at Uber). Meanwhile, a new breed of
CEOs is rising, defined less by “command and control” and more by “inspire and
empower.”
No leader better epitomizes this approach,
and its potential for outsize success, than Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Following the notoriously combative Steve Ballmer, Nadella has dramatically
revived Microsoft’s reputation and its relevance by emphasizing collaboration
and what he calls a “learn-it-all” culture versus the company’s historical
know-it-all one. As senior editor Harry McCracken explains in “Microsoft Rewrites the Code,” the results have been eye-popping: more than $250 billion in market
value gains in less than four years—a feat that, quantitatively, puts Nadella
in the pantheon of Bezos–Cook–Page–Zuckerberg.
Empathy and soft skills have often been
derided in the cutthroat bureaucracies of corporate America. “Suck it up” has
been the edict to aspiring masters of the universe; generosity of spirit and
openness have often taken a backseat to aggressiveness and subterfuge. Which is
what makes Nadella’s ascension so refreshing. His playbook includes these five
lessons:
1. SHOWING WEAKNESS IS A
STRENGTH.
Rather than walking tall and carrying a big
stick, Nadella has demonstrated confidence and authority through his
willingness to admit fault. A few months into his tenure, he made a major faux
pas at a conference for women engineers that spawned a wave of criticism. He
owned the mistake and admitted to biases that he hadn’t realized. The episode
ended up building his credibility in the long run.
2. LISTEN AND LEARN.
Nadella describes working for Bill Gates in
uncompromising terms: “Bill’s not the kind of guy who walks into your office
and says, ‘Hey, great job.’ It’s like, ‘Let me start by telling you the 20
things that are wrong with you today.’ ” Nadella’s
style is to emphasize what’s been done right. He starts each senior leadership
meeting with a segment called “Researcher of the Amazing,” showcasing something
inspiring at the company.
3. PATIENCE AND URGENCY CAN
COEXIST.
Nadella says Microsoft’s cultural evolution is an ongoing process. But that hasn’t prevented him from acting
boldly—whether shutting down the mobile phone business and eliminating 20,000
jobs or buying LinkedIn.
4. PEOPLE CAN GROW.
Nadella recruited new talent into the
company, and he has emphasized the importance of an outsider’s perspective. But
he has put even more focus on unleashing potential within the ranks. He’s
relied on instilling a “growth mind-set,” a concept borrowed from Stanford
professor Carol Dweck. He sees resistance to change as a behavior rather
than a fixed personality trait.
5. EMPATHY IS A TOOL.
Some may look at Nadella’s efforts and say,
“All he needed to succeed was to not be a jerk.” That underestimates the nuance
of what effective empathy requires. Putting yourself in someone else’s place is
a powerful way to alter behavior and outcomes.
Admiration and encouragement, high expectations,
and uncompromising standards: A skillful manager uses all of these to get the
best out
of us. I have learned that from all my bosses, and from Nadella, too. As leaders, colleagues, employees, and consumers, we are senders and recipients of myriad messages, spoken and unspoken, acknowledged and subconscious. In the best case, we take time periodically to step back and assess our actions—and those of others—to appreciate the long-term implications. Only then can we experience the life, the career, and the impact that we want most.
of us. I have learned that from all my bosses, and from Nadella, too. As leaders, colleagues, employees, and consumers, we are senders and recipients of myriad messages, spoken and unspoken, acknowledged and subconscious. In the best case, we take time periodically to step back and assess our actions—and those of others—to appreciate the long-term implications. Only then can we experience the life, the career, and the impact that we want most.
BY ROBERT SAFIAN
https://www.fastcompany.com/40457045/how-to-lead-with-empathy?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fast%20Company%20Daily&position=8&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=09192017
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