Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says he doesn’t see empathy as a soft skill: ‘It’s the hardest skill we learn’

In today’s leadership landscape, soft skills are undeniably en vogue. However, don’t be quick to lump empathy in with the rest. That’s because Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella firmly believes the art of comprehending others transcends the soft skills category. In his view, characterizing it as “soft” understates its significance, as he asserts that mastering empathy is, in fact, the most formidable skill of them all.

“Empathy is not a soft skill,” Nadella said in a 2023 interview with Axel Springer’s CEO Mathias Döpfner. “In fact, it’s the hardest skill we learn—to relate to the world, to relate to people that matter the most to us.”

Not only does being empathetic enable leaders to better connect with their staff, but according to Nadella, customers too.

Read more: Satya Nadella returned Microsoft to the top by showing humility as CEO. Here’s how it’s done

“In fact, innovation is about meeting the unmet, unarticulated needs of customers,” he added. “What’s the source of that? Some would say design thinking. But design thinking is empathy.”

Nadella beats the empathy drum

It’s not the first time the Indian-American chief who took Microsft’s helm in 2014 has hailed the power of empathy at work.

“If you have empathy for your people,........

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