this post was submitted on 18 Oct 2023
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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says empathy isn't a soft skill — it's actually 'the hardest skill we learn'::Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talked about the importance of empathy as a skill in the business world while accepting the Axel Springer Award in Berlin.

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[–] mholiv@lemmy.world 119 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I feel like he’s telling on himself. I think for most people having a sense of empathy is the default, and learning how and when (if ever) to ignore that feeling is the hard part.

[–] isles@lemmy.world 38 points 2 years ago

You guys just don't understand how hard it is to make yourself think of other humans as important. This takes practice and effort! I spend 10 minutes a day thinking of how other people might feel and it's exhausting. Anyway, the spreadsheet numbers are smaller than they used to be, so I'll just do a round of layoffs.

[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 14 points 2 years ago

Empathy is not universal. You persuade yourself that somebody is miserable, annoying, weak, unpleasant, and you are not empathetic to them anymore.

Well, at least I feel myself to be weird for not doing that and preventing myself from doing that.

[–] ViscloReader@lemmy.world 78 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Microsoft ceo + empathy doesn't seem right

[–] Skies5394@lemmy.ml 59 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Almost any CEO + empathy doesn’t seem right.

At least 20% of people in executive positions are psychopaths. Literally psychopaths. Not sociopaths, full on psychos.

I can almost guarantee that the Venn diagram of psychopaths and executives at Fortune 500 companies is a circle.

[–] Coasting0942@reddthat.com 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Flawed study. Real psychos/socios know never to reveal the truth and lie until the music stops.

[–] bilboswaggings@sopuli.xyz 7 points 2 years ago

Wait, but isn't that what CEOs do?

[–] BarrelAgedBoredom@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

If we're going to be accurate, both psychopathy and sociopathy aren't recognized as clinically diagnosable conditions. The things we think of as psychopathy and sociopathy are part of a spectrum of personality disorders. Basically the same reason we don't fall people with down syndrome mongoloids anymore. It's inaccurate and stigmatizing. Not to say that CEOs aren't terrible, they are

[–] Jerkface@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Just to be a little more specific, those traits are part of what's known as the dark triad, which include psychopathy, narcissism, and machiavellianism. These traits are generally related to cluster B personality disorders, among which antisocial personality disorder has the strongest correlation with psychopathy.

https://www.fortunejournals.com/articles/exploring-the-dark-side-relationships-between-the-dark-triad-traits-and-cluster-b-personality-disorder-features.html

[–] AlmightySnoo@lemmy.world 55 points 2 years ago (1 children)

says the CEO of a company which laid off 10,000 employees in January

[–] RushingSquirrel@lemm.ee 31 points 2 years ago

But he did it while feeling it with them

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 51 points 2 years ago (4 children)

Idk empathy came a lot more naturally to me than fucking technical writing and calc. It’s just giving a shit, you were supposed to learn it by kindergarten

[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 30 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's hard if you're a sociopath, which is a prereq to being CEO

[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Nah, successful sociopaths understand and perfectly emulate traits like empathy, often better than those who actually experience such traits.

[–] Jerkface@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

I have a family member who almost certainly has antisocial personality disorder and your assessment is dead on.

[–] realharo@lemm.ee 17 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

A lot of people think they have empathy, but for many of them it's very limited when it comes to other people who are not similar enough to the person themselves (or people close to them). E.g. people from a different background or socioeconomic class.

Empathy often ends wherever a person's perceived "tribe" ends.

[–] CordanWraith@aussie.zone 7 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I don't say this to be edgy or confrontational, but it's not like that for everyone. I am 26 and have no idea how to empathise with people, it's not an innate thing for me and I have to put a lot of effort into learning it.

Not really here to argue any point, just food for thought.

[–] BURN@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

It’s not just you. I really struggle with it too. I’m terrible at maintaining friendships because of it.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Fair, it’s one of those things that can be easy to forget when not reminded unfortunately. To me empathizing just happens when I see a face. I sometimes have to remember that people like you (and my girlfriend actually) have to do it on purpose. For people like me learning empathy is more learning to channel it in positive ways rather than remembering to think of others’ feelings.

[–] Dax87@forum.stellarcastle.net 2 points 2 years ago

in my experience, ive had to remind a lot of my IT colleagues to have empathy, and quite often.

also, what may be natural to you isnt necessairly easy for others.

[–] wick@lemm.ee 34 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's so comforting to know the skin-suits are trying to learn.

[–] IDeserveToBeLoved@szmer.info 8 points 2 years ago

CEO: Become Human

[–] alekwithak@lemmy.world 31 points 2 years ago

Most CEOs are sociopaths so that tracks.

[–] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 30 points 2 years ago

This person has trained themselves to suppress their empathy or perhaps they have empathy for this stockholders. They laid off a ton of people this year and more will be coming after their huge acquisition.

[–] MonkderZweite@feddit.ch 24 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

But some are naturals in it. People with status/high positions often unlearn it. So i guess it's rather the reverse.

Btw: 2/3 of people in similiar positions like Satya have no empathy but are good in faking it.

[–] ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Well, they're paid to ignore it and press on with business.

[–] themurphy@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Easier to pay one who just doesn't have it. A shareholders dream.

[–] Seasm0ke@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

This year, Microsoft announced they wanted to cut 10,000 jobs. They are in the middle of linked in layoffs right now.

Its pretty telling how difficult it was for him to develop empathy for his son's health struggles instead of bemoaning his lost plans. I wonder how difficult he'd find learning the concept of personal accountability

[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 21 points 2 years ago

This sounds like what an AI would come up with when it's trying to be deep

[–] laughingm0n@lemmyhub.com 18 points 2 years ago

2023, took away annual inflation raise for the entire company during one of the worst years for inflation. Went to the board of directors and got himself a huge increase in his salary.

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago

Alternate title: Microsoft CEO doesn't know what "soft skill" means

[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago

“It’s not soft! It’s difficult!”

Wuuuuuuut

[–] tja@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Axel Springer owns Business Insider, that's why they are reporting it.

In Germany Axel Springer also owns Bild, which is very similar to Fox news. And it owns Welt, which is Bild in a business suit.

[–] EternalNicodemus@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I finally found out who is the Microsoft CEO lol

[–] sebinspace@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Steve Ballmer era was crazy.

Steve Ballmer was crazy.

[–] EternalNicodemus@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] snowsuit2654@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

I don't know much about him tbh, but whenever you're talking about Steve Ballmer you have to mention the "Developers" video: https://youtu.be/XxbJw8PrIkc?si=wo_5LMsM4k-lKhBq

Also the Ballmer Peak is funny: https://xkcd.com/323/

[–] sebinspace@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Ever notice how he constantly sounds 17? Even with the constant voice cracking like he’s still going through puberty

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[–] Zrybew@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago

LinkedIn did layoffs 48h ago

[–] drahardja@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

That’s not what “soft skills” means, Satya.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 3 points 2 years ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella thinks that empathy is more than just a soft skill — it's crucial in both personal and professional life.

"Empathy is not a soft skill," Nadella said in an interview with Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner on Tuesday.

"Watching my wife Anu and what she was doing — she gave up her job as architect and would walk, drive him up and down Seattle to every therapy possible.

"If you have empathy for your people, they will do their best work and you'll make progress," Nadella once said on an episode of LinkedIn's "Hello Monday" podcast.

On a broader level, Nadella also thinks empathy plays a key role in driving innovation.

Nadella spoke on Tuesday in Berlin while accepting the Axel Springer Award, which the company says is given to "outstanding personalities who demonstrate an exceptional talent for innovation, create and transform markets, shape culture, and also face their social responsibility."


The original article contains 441 words, the summary contains 155 words. Saved 65%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] spittingimage@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

Congrats for functioning at minimum human level, I guess?

[–] Mr_Blott@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

So the guy's name is basically Satay Nutella and nobody realised he's nuts?

Fucksake guys