We should not fixate on empathy as the most important competency that modern leaders need. Empathy alone will not help companies survive, nor will it provide solace to the many employees who feel overwhelmed by the perceived threat of AI agents taking over jobs en masse. Does this mean that empathy is no longer important? Of course not! Itโs more crucial than ever as a cornerstone of effective leadership.
Research conducted with Jana Gutierrez Kardum, Jay Patel and Monique Borst, using insights from the Learning Mindset Amplifier, uncovered key drivers, unique strengths, and potential pitfalls from international leaders. Participants not only completed the Reflect questionnaire but also opted for an individual Relate conversation or personal coaching session to gain deeper insights and Reframe their leadership style.
Beyond Empathy for Cultivating an Adaptive and Learning Mindset
Although empathy is a crucial leadership competency, it can also be a blind spot. Well-meaning leaders may struggle to guide employees through necessary change. Recent research highlights that both personal and leadership empathy are key areas of focus for leaders
Leadership effectiveness depends on mastering two fundamental aspects of empathy. One enables leaders to recognize emotional undercurrents. When combined with compassion, it fosters commitment to individual and collective well-being. The other, leadership empathy, is essential for leading a company through change.
To clarify;
- Compassion is the intention to be close to others and to alleviate suffering without expecting anything in return. It means understanding with an open heart what someone else feels and truly being receptive to it. It involves a willingness to take action to ease another personโs distress.
- Empathy facilitates emotional resonance with others by allowing us to feel what others feel (affective empathy) and to understand why someone feels the way they do (cognitive empathy).
- Empathetic leadership integrates these elements to foster a learning and adaptive mindset. However, it emphasizes deliberate, strategic action, understanding the drivers of resistance and transforming these obstacles into opportunities for continuous improvement that promote well-being and growth.
This concept of empathetic leadership aligns more with liminal leadership, adding a more complex dynamic that requires translating emotional intelligence into practical strategies that foster continuous learning, agility, and sustainable development.
Liminal leadership is, therefore, a more fitting term for a leadership approach that embraces transition, uncertainty, and transformation. Derived from the Latin limen, meaning threshold or transition phase, it represents the challenge many face in letting go of the past and stepping into the unknown.
Liminal Leadership to Facilitate Human-Machine Symbiosis
Today, we are at a turning point where humans and machines collaborate in new ways. This shift creates a threshold that is more than just a passage. It is a crucial and often unsettling space that separates those who embrace change from those who resist it. Uncertainty stretches like a vast abyss, putting leadership to the test. Liminally minded leaders do more than navigate this transition. They become the bridge, guiding individuals and organizations toward new possibilities.
Our research shows that leaders who excel in certain drivers of liminality often face significant challenges as well. Below, I highlight a few key pitfalls as insights for those looking to strengthen their liminal leadership competencies. By recognizing these challenges, leaders can better overcome their own thresholds and unlock new growth opportunities.
1. Confidence in Navigating Uncertainty versus Self-Reflection
โ Liminal leaders thrive in ambiguity and lead teams through change rather than clinging to stability. They enjoy challenging the status quo and surround themselves with highly (neuro)diverse teams who dare to question their vision and strategy.
๐ก However, a common pitfall is a reluctance to seek feedback on their own leadership competencies. Fear of failure as a leader often prevents them from holding up the mirror to themselves. Developing self-empathy and practising self-reflection are crucial areas for improvement.
2. Encouraging Growth versus Empathetic Awareness
โ Liminal leaders cultivate continuous growth, encourage experimentation, and see innovation as a process of continuous improvement. They actively promote learning strategies like Kaizen and embrace fast failure as a learning opportunity.
๐ก Leaders with low natural empathy may struggle to engage with emotionally driven or anxious individuals who don’t embrace learning and change. They often have little patience for such concerns and may believe that emotions have no place in the workplace. By surrounding themselves with empathic advisors and actively considering their insights, these leaders can better support employees who face resistance. This approach fosters a psychologically safe environment, where people feel comfortable exploring new ideas and redefining their roles. (In an upcoming edition of the Leadership Series with Monique, we will delve deeper into the concept of narcissistic leadership.)
3. Visionary Thinking and โUnimaginable Imaginationโ versus Realism
โ Visionary leaders imagine a future where humans and machines thrive in a truly symbiotic, ever-evolving and infinite learning ecosystem. They push beyond limitations, spark innovation, and turn the seemingly impossible into reality. Something we are witnessing today in countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where ambition is rapidly becoming tangible progress.
๐ก Yet, many leaders struggle to translate vision into action. What seems clear to them may feel overwhelming or unrealistic to their employees. Liminal leadership is about bridging the gap between “what is” and “what could be” by breaking ambitious visions into achievable, practical steps. This also requires identifying and overcoming the drivers of those barriers such as structural patterns, structures, and limiting mental models that hinder progress and transformation.
Conclusion
As we stand on the threshold of a new era, leaders who cultivate a learning mindset, encourage experimentation and bridge the gap between vision and reality will be best placed to thrive.
Liminal leadership therefore goes beyond traditional empathy and embraces uncertainty, adaptability and continuous learning to navigate the changing relationship between man and machine. Although empathy remains essential, it must be balanced with strategic action, self-reflection and a willingness to challenge the status quo. By embracing liminality, leaders can create a symbiotic infinite ecosystem in which both people and machines are constantly learning, evolving and stimulating sustainable innovation.
Discover how we can help your team step beyond the threshold and unlock new possibilities.
The purpose of our Amplifiers and supporting services is to help you reflect on your mindset, after which you can use the results to relate to and reframe it. Both the free amplifier and the amplifier for professionals and teams are connected to the five drives that underpin your learning mindset But remember, the total score isnโt what matters, itโs the progress you choose to make that truly counts.
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