Oh my team loves me!

I go out of my way to help them all the time…”

Said one of the leader’s I was coaching, confidently – who is an extremely successful CXO in a top multinational.

When I spoke with the leader’s direct reports in confidence, as a part of the 360 stakeholder feedback… their feedback painted a different picture.

They expressed feeling demotivated, unheard, and uncared for.

When asked why? (after all, their boss cared so much for them),

They revealed the following:

“Whenever they approached him, his eyes usually rolled around his mobile phone, laptop, or watch.”

Basically the leader had this “unconscious” habit of not making eye contact. He kept looking at his gadgets.

– Despite the leader’s genuine intentions to support his team, his team felt as though they weren’t valued or respected.

– They felt demotivated and “not heard”.

– They longed for genuine connection and acknowledgment, but instead, they felt that their concerns were insignificant.

This feedback came as a SHOCK to the leader, obviously.

He realised that he genuinely cared for his team but lacked empathy and awaremess to understand what the team really needed!

“You see, it’s like when you are really really thirsty and I keep offering you the best of gourmet foods…will you be happy?”

So the moment he understood this, it didn’t take him a single day to change this habit.

He just didn’t know!

It was a blind spot. An unconscious habit.

Learning?

1. Being TOO positive about oneself doesn’t work – taking regular FEEDBACK is crucial.

2. Genuine intentions aren’t always enough – BEHAVIOURS & actions matter.

3. Caring for others is not enough for team morale – SELF-AWARENESS & EMPATHY matter.

4. Communication goes beyond words – non-verbal cues, gestures like eye contact and ACTIVE LISTENING are crucial for building rapport & trust.

Effective and influential leadership involves continuous self-reflection, empathy and adaptation to meet the needs of others.

This leads to a positive work environment.

Simple things like these can change the morale, productivity and culture of your team and probably the entire organisation.

What’s one small gesture of empathy you’ve experienced from a leader that made a big difference in your work life?

Ashwni Sharma

MD & Founder – A Brighter Life | Global Executive Coach | Psychometric Assessment Professional | Master NLP Practitioner | Inner Transformation Specialist | Self Mastery Coach

Ashwni, the Founder and MD of A Brighter Life, is dedicated to empowering leaders to enhance their effectiveness, mindfulness, and influence for joyful success. With over 27+ years of corporate experience, driven by his passion for personal transformation, Ashwni left a successful career spanning four major companies across the UK, USA, and India. Working with CXOs, Board Members, and Top Leaders globally, he combines business management skills with life transformation expertise to enable practical and applicable conversations and actions. He holds international certifications as an Executive Coach and has mastered modalities such as NLP and Hypnotherapy. Ashwni’s passion lies in fostering self-leadership as the foundation for leadership development.

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