Leadership brings with it great responsibilities, rewards—and, inevitably, many risks. Successful leaders are thought to be bold risk-takers. Yet, between the urgency to enable digital transformation, the ongoing economic challenges, the infamous ‘great resignation’, and the aggressive and unprecedented boom in the global startup ecosystem, one is forced to examine the value of taking risks.

Empathy has always been a valuable quality. Even though we may have been aware of it before, the harrowing challenges of the pandemic have renewed its importance, bringing it right back into focus.

History is full of lessons about how leaders should communicate during a crisis and what people expect from those in leadership positions to alleviate their troubles.