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When I was 35, a ruptured brain aneurysm nearly killed me. My husband and I had just moved to a new city, bought our first house, adopted a dog, and I had recently started my own business. Life was running at 100 miles an hour and I thought this is what hustling was supposed to feel like. Living my best life, right? Until I collapsed, unconscious, on my bathroom floor. I miraculously survived. Recovery wasn’t always easy due to my new cognitive deficits. However, the experience taught me about the power of empathy to heal and how clarity and decisive action especially when the stakes are high can be the most compassionate things someone can do to alleviate stress, confusion, and anxiety. From staff supporting my husband in those crucial first hours to my care team treating me as a personcalling me by name and letting me choose my meals for six weeksI felt seen, heard, and valued. Their kindness eased my stress and made a difficult time less isolating. According to a 2024 Businessolver State of Workplace Empathy Study, 37% of CEOs still believe empathy has no place in the workplace. This same study shows a marked increase in perceptions of workplaces being toxic. Clearly, we have a workplace conundrum that needs addressing. Engagement is down and mental health issues are up. Experts now cite loneliness as a health epidemic. It begs the question: Should empathy ever be put aside at work, or should we be doubling down on it? When we define empathy too narrowly, we overlook its power to build resilient, high-performing teams and boost engagement, collaboration, and innovation. Empathy means seeing, understanding, and, when appropriate, feeling anothers perspectivethen using that insight to act with compassion. Its a way to gather information, understand context, and take the next right step together. With this definition, it is safe to say that unless you are being physically or psychologically hurt, there are almost no circumstances where we should be putting empathy aside at work. Empathy at work includes practicing clarity, transparency, and decisiveness. Going back to my story Above all, I credit my surgeon and care team for practicing the often overlooked aspects of empathy: decisiveness, transparency, and clarity. Can you imagine if my surgeon stalled on a decision to give my family a chance to research, analyze, or familiarize themselves with what was going on? He shared the information, clearly explained the risks and upsides, and patiently answered their questions, but he made a firm decision to move forward because he kept his eye on the ultimate goal: Saving my life. This kind of decisive action was exactly what my disoriented and overwhelmed husband needed at that moment. It was truly empathetic. Harvard Business School professor highlights the importance of decisive action when he writes, A comprehensive study of compassion in the Clinical Psychology Review defines it as recognizing suffering, understanding it, and feeling empathy for the suffererbut also tolerating the uncomfortable feelings they and the suffering person are experiencing, and, crucially, acting to alleviate the suffering. Here are some ways that empathetic leaders can show up with greater decisiveness. Revisit your goal and purpose — often Leaders can often get caught up in the drama surrounding important decisions and lose sight of the goal. Create a way to clearly kick yourself in the pants as you make a decision: make your goal physically visible using a sticky note or by including it at the top of every discussion agenda. Read the mission out loud when you kick off meetings to reorient everyone to true north. Here are some tactics to try: Bake in goal-review processes: You can add goal statements to tracking paperwork, insist on reviewing the purpose at every major goalpost, or ask stakeholders to consider the overall goal any time they request a change or addition. Make goal-centricity a group endeavor: Ask your team members or colleagues to be accountability partners in remaining goal-focused. They can remind you, Which option aligns with the larger purpose? whenever they see you waffling. Practice transparency Theres no need to make all decisions in a secretive way and unveil them only when they are fully baked. Learn to be clearer quicker, and if possible, talk openly about the choices youre making and have made. Dont be afraid to say, I dont know, but lets find out together. A study published in the Journal of Communication Management reveals how transparent communication significantly influences employees’ trust in their organizations. Here are some tactics to try: Share your failures: Being human with your teams means theyll feel comfortable doing the same, which builds empathy in both directions. It also will slowly erode any anxiety you have about making bad or wrong decisions. Process with trusted colleagues: By allowing yourself to process with team members or other leaders verbally, you can reveal your thought processes and limiting factors. Solicit and synthesize input Practice soliciting input from others, but be clear that once a decision is made, naysayers will be asked to disagree but commit. At a certain point, weve all got to move forward together and still be committed to the mission. Focus on impact: While general feedback is important, if you want to be decisive by implementing input quickly, you need specifics. You can practice asking the feedback-giver to recommend one thing you could do that would make a difference to them Express enthusiasm for feedback: Ideally, soliciting input should be constant, not sporadic. Verbally reward and encourage feedback regularly. Start small: You can try a low-risk experiment, like asking everyone to vote for the location of the next off-site, department lunch. Leverage all that input to quickly make a call yourself, and practice communicating your decision back. Set a deadline In an article for Fast Company, psychotherapist Amy Morin recommends getting in the habit of setting deadlines for decisions that trip you up. If its a small decisionsay, picking a spot for a business lunchgive yourself a few hours. If its weightiera big investment or strategic pivotthink more in terms of days or weeks. Here are some tactics to try: Leverage tech: It may sound simple, but just putting a reminder in your phone or calendar can help you stay on track to make decisions in a timely manner. Schedule a decision review block each day: Consider setting aside thirty minutes or so each day to review and mull upcoming choices. This is also a good forcing mechanism for leaders who are overwhelmed by choices. Empathy isn’t just about listening and understandingit’s about acting decisively, transparently, and with clarity when it matters most so no ne is left anxious and scared in the dark. Leaders who embrace these qualities foster trust, reduce anxiety, and inspire collaboration, even during challenging times.
Category:
E-Commerce
Branded is a weekly column devoted to the intersection of marketing, business, design, and culture. While its not clear what President Trumps ever-shifting tariffs attack on Canada might ultimately achieve, it has already done one thing for certain: ticked off a lot of Canadians. Thats taken the form of anti-Trump and anti-American sentiment (including the booing of the U.S. national anthem before various sporting events being played in Canada). But its also taken the form of renewed Canadian prideas witnessed by a reported spike in buying, and flying, Canadian flags. Naturally, official symbols of Canadianism arent the only option for expressing devotion to the Great White North: Consumer brands are a big part of that conversation, too. Last month, during the reprieve between Trumps initial threat and the 25% tariff on Canadian imports kicking in Tuesday (which Trump already paused again on Thursday), a survey of Canadian consumers found 85% said that they planned to replace some or all of the U.S.-made products on their shopping lists. (Interestingly, 41% said they would avoid shopping on Amazon.) And now, it seems, many are acting on that pledge. On Reddit and other online forums, fans of Canada-based consumer-goods companies have gathered to tout brands in seemingly every conceivable categoryfrom Hawkins Cheezies snacks (I cant believe anyone would eat a Cheeto if they had the option of Hawkins Cheezies, one fan enthused), Cove carbonated drinks as an alternative to American sodas, Stanfields underwear (founded in 1856, it bills itself as Canadian even before Canada), hipster-luxury denim brand Naked & Famous and Heartbeat Hot Sauce (On Hot Ones many times, a Redditor says) to Boo Bamboo personal-care products made with organic bamboo extract. A “Look for the Leaf” sign near the checkout counter of a store in Toronto, March 4, 2025, guides shoppers to look for maple leaf labels, which mark made-in-Canada items. [Photo: Michelle Mengsu Chang/Toronto Star/Getty Images] A slew of roundups and listicles have followed, showering attention on a range of Canadian brands. The Toronto Star, to pick one example, published a How to buy Canadian primer, which recommends Savör eggs, GoodLeaf Farms produce, and Royale toilet paper and tissues. Look for [dairy] products with the Blue Cow logo, the paper advised, which means theyre made with 100% Canadian milk and ingredients. Theres also a website, Made in CA, that compiles Canadian goods. Canadian grocer Loblaws CEO Per Bank has been posting on LinkedIn about its tariffs experience, noting that weekly sales of Canadian products were up by double digits in mid-February, and recently announcing the rollout of new in-store-display features to guide shoppers to Canadian wares. The combined desire to boycott American goods and support Canadian alternatives is, in some cases, clouded by intertwined global markets that have developed over decades of free-trade boosterism. People are directly writing into customer service asking detailed questions on whether [products] are Canadian, where they source from, and so forth, the CEO of Vancouver-based superfood latte brand Blume told Modern Retail. (Blume has been playing up its Canadianism on its site and social media lately.) But that consumer challenge is creating its own market: Several new apps with names like Buy Beaver and Maple Scan promise to reveal how Canadian a product iswhere it’s made, what its made of, etc.by scanning its barcode. That said, there are plenty of symbolic gestures, too, like rebranding caffe Americano as Canadiano. And there have been more directly punitive responses including canceling U.S. vacations and pulling American brands from Canadian liquor stores (a move the maker of Louisville, Kentucky-based Jack Daniels calls worse than a tariff), along with retaliatory tariffs on many American imports. The underlying sentiment isnt a matter of wonky economics; its emotional and visceral, based on a belief among many that the tariffs have nothing to do with border-security demands (as claimed) but are a blunt attempt to damage Canadas economy, and ultimately absorb the 158-year-old nation. (Trump has derisively referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as governor.) If Canadians are acting like theyve been betrayed by an old friend, they have good reason to feel that way. Hours after the tariffs went into effect, CTV News interviewed several Canadian-citizen shoppers who sounded determined to defy any trade strong-arming and indeed take it as motivation to seek out Canadian-made alternatives theyd ignored or overlooked in the past. I think we should really cut them off, said one Halifax resident, speaking of American brands, and we should stay [buying] 100% Canadian. Of course, that also could mean ultimately punishing brands from other countries that have nothing to do with the U.S. tariffs. But at least one American export appears to be catching on in Canada thanks to this trade flare-up: economic nationalism.
Category:
E-Commerce
Tyler, the CEO of an early-stage technology company, reached out for executive coaching support at the recommendation of a college friend: “Give it a try,” she encouraged. He was skeptical about anything “touchy-feely” and wondered if coaching could offer his leadership an “edge.” After we reviewed his 360 results together, Tylers skepticism took center stage. His feedback consisted of descriptors like controlling, arrogant, and dismissive. Tyler was unmoved. He asked, “Why should I care about what people think of me if were getting great results?” Tylers not an anomaly. There are leaders everywhere who behave badly interpersonally but exceed sales goals, secure investor funding, or get a product to market in record time. As executive coaches who have supported hundreds of senior leaders, we believe this one-dimensional focus on results is seductive, but eventually self-sabotaging and shortsighted. Today’s leaders need to focus on results and interpersonal relationships for long-term success. Here are some reasons why: Competitive and collaborative leaders get the strongest results Tyler has been successful to-date, and he believes that will continue even if he keeps deprioritizing relationships. Of course, research says thats unlikely. A study of sales organizations that the National Bureau Of Economic Research conducted found that there is a cost to promoting stars who havent built skills in collaborating with or developing people. Their teams will make, on average, 30% fewer sales than sales teams with collaborative managers. Bad behavior reduces long-term effectiveness Tyler, as a start-up CEO, can “get away” with bad behavior now given his results. However, over time toxic leaders contribute to reduced productivity, decreased employee performance, increased turnover, and increased legal fees, according to a study in Health Psychology Research. These consequences are a drain on resources and tenured employees. Bottom line, bad behavior catches up with leaders. Tending to relationships and results secures more longevity in senior roles. Caring is a worthwhile investment Tylers strategy might be working now, but leadership strategies need to be resilient to professional and personal change. One senior leader, Alexandra, who routinely delivered impressive results, did so at the cost of her teams morale (For example, she didnt take their complaints to HR seriously). Then, Alexandras aging parents health concerns required her to routinely fly cross country to manage their care. When Alexandras capacity shifted, her team resisted stepping-up to assist her. Alexandras nonexistent social capital with her team ended up costing the company floundering results. The company demanded intensive leadership coaching for Alexandra and a commitment to change. She eventually shifted her leadership style in accordance with researchwhere cultivating an environment that prioritizes people and relationships is good for business. How to course correct: Theres no one-size-fits-all solution to move from challenged to successful people leader. However, here are three steps to begin excelling at both financial and people development metrics. 1. Focus on self: shift intimidating behaviors First, identify the specific behaviors that inhibit the people you work alongside. Pay attention to feedback like, “She dominates the conversation with her opinions,” or “When I ask clarifying questions, he gets exasperated.” Years of research on psychological safety illuminates the downsides of leading through fear. Ultimately, this contributes to lower levels of effectiveness and engagement. Once youre clear on your unproductive behaviors, pick small new behaviors that invite learning and new perspectives versus fear. One effective way to form stronger connections with colleagues is to ask curious questions. Some examples include, “What else do you want me to understand?” or “Can you tell me more about how you see the challenge?” or “Whats your perspective?” 2. Focus on others: invest in developing your people Taking time to engage with your employees and have meaningful career development conversations builds loyalty. People want to perform well for leaders who support their long-term career development. Set the stage by letting your people know youll find time twice a year to explore their career aspirations. Send questions like these in advance to prime the pump for a meaningful conversation. Where do you hope to see yourself 10 years from now? What other roles do you see in the company that interest you? If you could design your next role at the company, what would you want it to look like and why? What is one skill (technical or soft) that if you were to develop, would benefit you greatly for the next five years? Start the conversation by stating your intention: to help your employee develop in ways that are meaningful to them. Then, discuss your employees answers to the questions and layer on your own thoughts. You might say, “I also see you as Marketing Director in the next few years and could see you overseeing Sales too given your creative mind and focus on data.” Its affirming to have your manager share what they envision for you along with validating any strengths. Finally, discuss ways to get more on-the-job experience in their areas of interest over the coming months. Your employee should leave with a plan of action for how to make progress on their career goals and an understanding of how youll support their efforts. 3. Focus on team: build interdependency Often team leaders with a high need for control rely on a hub-and-spoke model of management where every problem goes through them. This is inefficient and loses the benefits that interdependent teams can give their organizations, the chance to outperform competitors and increase profitability. No leader will perfectly tend toresults and people. But understanding the importance of both often leads to organizational success. When Tyler agreed to explore this, he found himself inspired in new ways. He dove into the challenge of defining how to demonstrate care for his people while simultaneously holding them to a high bar. Its not easy. But as the leaders weve worked with have found, its much more fulfilling to drive results together with their team, rather than at their expense and well-being.
Category:
E-Commerce
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