It’s disturbing that Elon Musk said there is too much empathy in the world. There’s more than one study indicating “lack of empathy” caused the Holocaust. Saying there’s too much empathy is like saying you support genocide.
Considering where we’re at in the world today, it seems lots of us support genocide. There’s way too little empathy. Do you want to live in Elon Musk’s world?
How can we counteract this disturbing trend? Let’s consider a radical proposition. Empathy is the genuine alpha trait; women leaders have it, and it shows.
In boardrooms and battlefields alike, empathy is often dismissed as a "soft skill"—something sentimental or girly. However, empathy is strategic because it enables innovative leaders to accurately read the room, navigate conflicts effectively, build loyalty, and anticipate potential problems.
The most outstanding leaders aren’t the loudest—they’re the most emotionally tuned-in. The research supports this statement. Perhaps we should start disregarding the loudmouths who claim they’re fantastic leaders because, well, they aren’t.
Women, as it turns out, are hardwired for empathy. Research from Harvard Business Review shows women consistently outperform men across leadership competencies, including communication, collaboration, and emotional intelligence. And it's not just anecdotal.
Research shows empathy helps retain talent, foster innovation, and build inclusive cultures. What company doesn’t want this? Some of the companies I’ve worked for certainly didn’t.
And, oh, wait, most of them are now out of business or have been acquired by another corporation. Their lack of empathetic leadership didn’t foster success.
Empathetic leadership has been undervalued for too long, often cast as weakness instead of wisdom. It’s not “manly”. Although if you listened to the story, men can be empathetic and successful.
Empathy is a winning strategy, and women wield it masterfully. If we want a better future, we need to encourage and promote more women leaders in business and government. And dump this empathy isn’t “manly” crap.
Share this post