Empathy and Drive: A Powerful Combination

In a time where AI disrupts traditional workplace dynamics and remote work reshapes human connections, business leaders face a crucial question: How do we maintain our humanity while driving results? The answer might surprise those still clinging to the “tough boss” stereotype. Today’s most effective leaders aren’t choosing between being empathetic or being driven—they’re mastering both.

Consider the modern workplace challenges: burnout rates climbing, younger generations demanding more meaningful connections at work, and teams scattered across time zones struggling to maintain cohesion. These aren’t just HR problems—they’re leadership challenges that directly impact the bottom line. Yet our research reveals a startling insight: while many executives excel at driving results, far fewer have mastered the art of genuine empathy.

THE RESEARCH

Think of leadership like a dance—specifically, the tango. It requires both technical precision and emotional connection to create something truly remarkable. Our research, which examined over 4,000 leaders through the eyes of their colleagues, managers, and direct reports, reveals just how crucial this balance is.

We looked at two key aspects of leadership: empathy (the ability to connect with and understand others) and drive (the push to achieve results).

• The empathy skills we measured included things most of us would recognize as “good leadership”—building trust, fostering collaboration, creating inclusive environments, and adapting to others’ needs.
• On the drive side, we looked at behaviors like risk-taking, goal achievement, strategic thinking, and spotting new opportunities.

Here’s where it gets interesting. When we sorted leaders based on their strengths in these areas, we found something striking: only about 15% of leaders excel at both empathy and drive. It’s like finding someone who’s equally gifted at both leading and following in that tango—rare but incredibly effective when you find them.

The Impact of Empathy and Drive

Leaders who mastered this balance ranked in the 91st percentile for overall leadership effectiveness—essentially the top of their class. Even more telling was the effect on their teams. Employee engagement scores showed a clear pattern: high empathy leaders had teams that were significantly more engaged, even if their drive wasn’t as strong. Conversely, leaders with high drive but low empathy saw their team engagement drop by 8 percentage points.

*Note that the direct reports’ employee engagement scores were significantly affected by a leader’s displaying high empathy. There is a 10 percentile point increase in employee engagement in the high empathy, low drive column followed by an 8-point decrease in the low empathy, high drive column. 

Also, note that the overall leadership effectiveness ranges from the 9^th to the 91^st percentile. Combining drive and empathy generates a highly effective leader with engaged direct reports.

A study of the graph above clarifies that driving alone only gets you halfway to a successful outcome.

Many traditional leadership models and business cultures tend to emphasize driving for results and performance over soft skills like empathy. In high-pressure or highly competitive environments, delivering results is often seen as the primary measure of leadership effectiveness.

Which Side Are Leaders Leaning

This pattern holds true across all management levels, though with an interesting twist. Individual contributors tend to score higher on empathy, while top executives typically excel at drive. The sweet spot? Leaders who develop both skills, regardless of their level in the organization.

Put simply: if leadership is indeed a dance, you need both the technical steps (drive) and the emotional connection (empathy) to create a performance worth watching—one without the other leaves you either stepping on toes or failing to move together across the floor.

How Leaders Demonstrate Empathy 

We analyzed thousands of responses in the 360-degree feedback to find what leaders did that made them more effective at expressing empathy. To make this more relevant and timelier, we only looked at data collected in the last three years.  The five suggestions listed below will have a significant impact on a leader’s perceived ability to express greater empathy.

Our analysis of thousands of 360-degree feedback responses over the past three years revealed five key behaviors that set highly empathetic leaders apart. Here’s how to put them into practice:

1. Eliminate the Executive Double Standard

Leaders must create a culture of fairness and transparency by applying the same standards across all levels of the organization. This involves:

• Auditing workplace policies for unequal privileges
• Demonstrating that leadership follows the same rules as employees
• Breaking down “us-versus-them” dynamics
• Leading by personal example

Example: Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and Airbnb’s Brian Chesky actively practice this by taking the same parental leave offered to employees and staying in Airbnb properties like their customers.

2. Make Development a Daily Priority

Leaders must treat talent development as a continuous, integral part of their role. This involves:

• Spotting everyday coaching moments
• Turning project setbacks into learning opportunities
• Dedicating time in one-on-ones to career discussions
• Blocking specific hours for employee mentoring

Example: One CEO studied blocked “development hours” on his calendar each week, specifically reserved for mentoring sessions with employees at all levels.

3. Master the Art of Inspiration

Leaders must motivate teams by creating compelling visions that naturally drive engagement. This involves:

• Practicing “possibility thinking” in communications
• Painting vivid pictures of potential achievements
• Shifting from directive language to inspirational narratives
• Helping teams see beyond immediate tasks to broader potential

Example: Instead of saying “We need to hit these numbers,” inspirational leaders reframe conversations to “Imagine what we could create if we achieve this goal.”

4. Build Bridges Across Differences

Leaders must actively cultivate inclusive environments that value diverse perspectives. This involves:

• Seeking out different viewpoints
• Creating forums for open discussion
• Finding ways to foster team cooperation
• Valuing individual team member differences

Example: Going beyond mandatory diversity training, empathetic leaders create environments where varied perspectives are genuinely heard and appreciated.

5. Embrace the Vulnerability of Feedback

Leaders must demonstrate a genuine commitment to personal growth and continuous improvement. This involves:

• Actively soliciting specific, actionable feedback
• Making concrete invitations for improvement suggestions
• Transparently sharing received feedback
• Visibly acting on developmental insights

Example: One executive made it a practice to share one piece of feedback she received each month, detailing how she was working to improve, which inspired her entire leadership team to do the same.

Remember: empathy isn’t a soft skill—it’s a hard catalyst for business results. Our data shows that leaders who excel in these five areas see measurably higher team performance, lower turnover, and stronger innovation scores. The key is making these behaviors systematic rather than sporadic.

How Leaders Increase Drive

1. Anticipate Potential Problems and New Trends

Leaders must develop a proactive mindset that looks beyond the immediate horizon. This involves:

• Regularly scanning the competitive landscape
• Investing time in understanding emerging technologies
• Building networks for early intelligence
• Creating systems for identifying weak signals of change

Example: Microsoft’s Satya Nadella anticipated the shift to cloud computing early in his tenure and pivoted the company’s focus from Windows to cloud services, leading to tremendous growth. He did this by regularly engaging with customers, studying market trends, and making bold decisions before the market fully matured.

2. Be Willing to Become a Champion

Effective leaders don’t just manage initiatives—they become their passionate advocates. This requires:

• Deep personal commitment to the cause
• Consistent communication of the vision
• Building coalitions across the organization
• Leading by example in implementation

Example: Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, championed sustainable business practices by making it central to the company’s strategy. He set ambitious goals like doubling the business while halving environmental impact, inspiring employees and creating a movement within the industry.

3. Bring More Energy and Enthusiasm

High-performing leaders understand that their energy sets the tone for the entire organization. This involves:

• Maintaining visible excitement about goals and progress
• Celebrating wins, both big and small
• Using positive body language and tone
• Sharing inspiring stories and possibilities

Example: Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, demonstrated infectious enthusiasm during the company’s transition to electric vehicles. Her energy during product launches, factory visits, and employee meetings helped rally the organization behind a massive transformation.

4. Take Necessary Risks

Strategic risk-taking is essential for growth and innovation. Leaders should:

• Create a framework for evaluating risks
• Build organizational capability to manage risk
• Learn quickly from failures
• Encourage calculated risk-taking in others

Example: Reed Hastings of Netflix took a massive risk by shifting from DVD rentals to streaming, then again by investing heavily in original content production. While these moves were questioned at the time, they positioned Netflix as an industry leader.

5. Balance Getting Results with Concern for Others

Sustainable success requires both achievement and empathy. Leaders must:

• Set ambitious goals while considering employee wellbeing
• Create psychological safety while maintaining high standards
• Provide support resources alongside stretch targets
• Monitor both performance metrics and employee engagement

Example: Satya Nadella transformed Microsoft’s cutthroat culture into one that balances high performance with empathy and growth mindset. He maintained Microsoft’s strong market position while significantly improving employee satisfaction and innovation.

Conclusion: Choose Both

 Asking a leader to choose between empathy and drive is like asking whether they’d prefer a strong heart or healthy lungs—both are necessary for a healthy life.

By identifying one or two behaviors from the list above to focus on, setting a clear goal, sharing it with others, and taking consistent action, you’ll not only deepen your empathy or sharpen your drive but also elevate your overall leadership effectiveness.

• Joe Folkman