Applied Empathy: The New Language of Leadership

use empathy to look at problems differently and create solutions that not only disrupt conventions but use empathy as a powerful tool.

Pantone knew our philosophy on this and wanted to internalize some of the capabilities and services we were providing. We agreed wholeheartedly and locked arms with the team to help them do just that. We worked collaboratively to identify the company’s existing skills gaps and realized that it needed some new talent. But that talent would replace w

Empathy is a squishy word. Sometimes it’s confused with sympathy or misinterpreted as “being nice.” That isn’t empathy. Empathy is about understanding. Empathy lets us see the world from other points of view and helps us form insights that can lead us to new and better ways of thinking, being, and doing.

that your alumni are your strongest allies.

In a word, the consultants lack empathy.

The first step in the process uses a framework we call the Empathy Venn (EV) to guide a person or team in gaining perspective on a problem they need to solve. The EV is made up of three circles, each representing one of three “Cs”: company, consumers, context.

help them evolve their businesses with empathy.

I have a friend who hosts a monthly dinner and leaves a card on every guest’s plate as a way of sparking new and deeper conversations around the table.

our best work occurs not when we fix everything for our clients but when we empower them with the tools and the clarity to fix their own teams, products, culture, or business.