“When we were in MBA school, my husband and I had an instructor who said, ‘When you become a CEO, many of the relationships and friendships established along the years will of necessity change. You’ll need to focus on what is of benefit to the organization. Period. Call it being a superhero, or whatever name you select, but you’ve got to separate your emotions from a clear vision of the company, and there is no room for decisions influenced by empathy.’
“I never forgot that statement and thought it was harsh, cruel and void of humanity. But now that my husband is being groomed for CEO in our automobile parts business, it seems that he is advocating that position — discussing it at home for the time being — and it scares me. Do you know of something he can read that might open his eyes a bit to 2023 reality? He needs to know pitfalls to avoid, how not to behave and realize that validating emotions and empathy is important. Thanks, Sherry.’”
