It was Monday morning, and the quarterly results had just been released. The numbers were strong, but the atmosphere in the office was tense. Sarah, the CEO of a mid-sized tech company, noticed her team members exchanging weary glances. One engineer had been working late nights for weeks, another had quietly withdrawn from meetings, and a project manager looked visibly burned out.
Instead of launching into a celebratory speech about revenue growth, Sarah paused. She asked everyone to share how they were feeling, not just about the work but about themselves. What followed was a candid conversation about stress, balance, and the need for more support. That moment shifted the culture of the company: Sarah’s choice to lead with empathy and curiosity marked the beginning of a human-centered leadership approach.
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