Leadership in Turbulent Times: Redefining CEO

Chief Executive Officer.  Has anyone reflected recently on what this role means and the noble responsibility it holds?  As I observe the current business and geopolitical climate, the answer is unclear. In a recent book written by four senior partners at McKinsey & Company (Hans-Werner Kaas et al) The Journey of Leadership: How CEOs Learn to Lead from the Inside Out, the authors present a strong case for CEOs to listen to their inner selves in order to overcome their own barriers and biases.  Only then can a leader unleash the potential of their people.  However, there has been so much change and disruption in the past five years that many leaders are simply trying to steady the ship, let alone spend time in deep reflection about their role and the legacy they want to leave on their organization and the world.  What does this mean for the future of leadership, especially during turbulent times?

I’ve made it my personal mission to seek a satisfying answer to this question, and it all started when I was asked to lead change management for a corporate restructuring two years ago. I did my best to lead people into the unknown, even though I didn’t have the tools to do it with confidence.  I studied human behavior, consumed books on change leadership, and did a lot of listening.  I listened to people’s fears, learned about their hopes and dreams, and witnessed tears.  This experience inspired me to launch a podcast on workplace empathy, E3: Engage and Empower with Empathy, as I saw first-hand how powerful empathetic leadership can be during change and uncertainty.  Why do some high-performing teams continue to thrive during disruption while others can barely keep their heads above water?

What I uncovered interviewing over 45 leaders on workplace empathy and how it influences change is that leaders around the world, for the most part, are doing their best.  BUT we are downplaying the importance of the messy, emotional, HUMAN side of leading people from the current state to the desired future state.  We need to reexamine the C-Suite’s role in guiding people through unchartered waters, and I thought it would be beneficial to have a fresh take on what it means to be the ship’s captain.

• Chief: this word reminds me of the great Native American chiefs of the past.  They were in charge of advocating for their people, and their leadership traits were marked by bravery, humility and gathering input from the collective tribe.

• Executive (OLD): this word is very transactional in nature and is reminiscent of someone who is in a position of power and authority.  It’s time to rethink this term.

• Empathy (NEW): I’m intentionally changing the “E” in my own CEO title to “Empathy,” as I strongly believe this is what the 21st century CEO needs to represent.  In Raj Sisodia and Michael J. Gelb's book, The Healing Organization, the authors talk about Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian’s vision for creating an organization that cares for people “so they can be their best.” Through his own self-reflection, he realized he needed to strengthen his empathy muscle through humility, intentionality, and presence.

• Officer: this word reminds me of police officers who have the incredible responsibility of watching over our communities and keeping us safe.  CEOs have the same responsibility.  As Barry-Wehmiller CEO Bob Chapman beautifully stated in our recent podcast interview, “you need to build a safe bus, which is your business model.  And then you need drivers who are your leaders who know how to get people where they need to go safely.”

"You need to build a safe bus, which is your business model. And then you need drivers who are your leaders who know how to get people where they need to go safely." - Bob Chapman, CEO Barry-Wehmiller

Just as Hoplamazian and Chapman redefined the role of executive leadership, I’m calling all CEOs to do the same.  Hoplamazian and his team observed that empathizing with someone does not translate into care unless you do something about it.  So, they created the following formula that the organization lives by each day: E + A = C: empathy plus action equals care.  Our job as leaders is not just to show empathy, but to turn empathy into action - action that leads to happier, healthier employees and a better society.

As Chief Empathy Officer of my newly formed change readiness consulting firm, The Empathy Collective LLC my mission is to redefine the role of the C-Suite by empowering leaders to coach people through change, one conversation at a time. By keeping empathy at the heart of change management, we will collectively build a stronger, more resilient workforce.  When I led corporate change management, this toolkit was desperately needed and did not exist.  It led to a lot of confusion and anxiety around change that fueled self-preservation and change resistance rather than empowerment and opportunity.

Change is hard, and the conversations around it can be uncomfortable for leaders.  Let’s change that.  My hope is that as we coach leaders to have change conversations with their teams, we will be able to take these learnings into our everyday lives to enrich the way we interact with our family, our neighbors, and our friends.  CEOs have an incredible responsibility to take care of the people within our span of care.  Together, let’s inspire positive change in our people and the communities we serve, one conversation at a time.