Microsoft Corporation MSFT CEO Satya Nadella stressed the importance of empathy as a critical skill for leaders in both personal and professional spheres.
What Happened: During a conversation with Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner, Nadella underscored that empathy is not a “soft skill” but the most challenging one to master.
He said, “Empathy is not a soft skill. In fact, it’s the hardest skill we learn — to relate to the world, to relate to people that matter the most to us,” according to Business Insider India.
Nadella’s viewpoint on empathy has been deeply shaped by his personal experiences, particularly as a parent to a child with disabilities.
His son Zain, who had cerebral palsy and was quadriplegic, passed away in February 2022 at the age of 26. This life-altering experience has reshaped him as a human being, parent, partner, and workplace leader.
Nadella has often emphasized the importance of empathy within the workplace, suggesting that empathy-driven leadership can significantly enhance team members’ career progression.
A 2021 Ernst & Young report bolsters this view, revealing that nearly 90% of US workers surveyed said an empathetic manager positively impacted their job satisfaction, productivity, and loyalty.
Moreover, Nadella believes empathy is key to driving innovation, stating, “Innovation is about meeting the unmet unarticulated needs of customers…but design thinking is empathy.”
Why It Matters: Nadella’s emphasis on empathy in leadership is consistent with his approach to various global issues. For instance, he was one of the prominent tech leaders who unequivocally condemned the Israel-Hamas conflict, expressing concern and condolences, according to a Benzinga article.
Moreover, Nadella’s belief in the significance of empathy aligns with his vision of the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI). He has drawn parallels between the impact of AI and the internet revolution.
“What motivates me is I want to use this technology to truly do what I think at least all of us are in tech for, which is democratizing access to it,” he said.
Photo by WEF on Flickr
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