Empathy: A CIO’s force multiplier

There was a time, probably in your career, when you could say, “I’m not that empathetic,” or “people aren’t my thing,” and advance to a management position in IT. More recently, emotional quotient (EQ) became something that — combined with IQ and technical skills — made an IT leader a unicorn capable of being both an inspiring leader as well as an effective technology producer. In the past couple of years, however, the ability to demonstrate empathy has shifted from “nice to have” to a CIO’s force multiplier — the skill that elevates a team’s productivity, keeps hard-to acquire technical people from leaving, and is the sinew and tendon that connects your company’s culture. If you are feeling this is a difficult ask, you have every reason.