It is just a seven letter word. However, this word and it’s meaning is what would define your leadership journey. No leader can ever be effective if he cannot be empathetic. It is that ability to empathise with your team, connect and relate with them and view the world from their eyes that sets you apart. “I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it” - Maya Angelou. Courageous leaders lead their troops with empathy. They are fearless enough to be vulnerable. And it is this very vulnerability that draws their subordinates to them. Most of us are not looking for infallible leaders who are almost God-like. We are looking for someone who understands us, the path we have been on and shows us the way ahead. One of those leaders who was an empath was my boss Vernon! The man was the role model for empathetic leadership. He would listen to you like no one else could. I would just have to talk to him and I would find myself opening up to h...