2022-05-30
An impassioned plea for embracing empathy.
Organizational transformation coach Pallapa writes in this debut: “When you lead with empathy, you are empowering humanity in the face of adversity.” Pallapa lays the groundwork for this argument with a broad discussion of the negative impacts of the global pandemic, proposing that empathy could be an enduring “prescription” for relief. The material in Part I includes an overview of several contemporary global challenges largely influenced by but not limited to the Covid-19 pandemic and also provides a kind of road map for navigating post-pandemic stress. While the content isn’t unique, numerous anecdotes and examples are sure to be illuminating and reassuring to readers. Part II provides a deeper dive into the types of empathy, notes the differences between empathy and sympathy, and explores how to lead with empathy. Of interest in this part is the author’s focus on “emotional intelligence (EQ)” as the driving force behind empathy. Two other engaging sections with illustrative examples outline the effects of random acts of kindness on empathy and how to instill empathy in children. In Part III, Pallapa widens the scope to include organizational leadership. This final section distinguishes this book from others of the genre. Pallapa authoritatively delves into why there are too few empathic leaders and how to exhibit empathy as a leader to both employees and customers. There are numerous deftly described ideas in this section. The author identifies the special challenges of leading a remote workforce and provides compassionate advice for improving “psychological safety.” Pallapa’s refreshing, unwavering optimism is best demonstrated by the “five positive trends” he puts forth (such as remote work becoming more acceptable and an increase in leaders’ empathy for their employees) that represent an antidote “to the dark clouds of these stressful and challenging times.”
A well-developed approach to humanistic leadership.
