In my experience, there is a tendency to lean too heavily on one side of the spectrum or the other. For example, when approaching difficult conversations, most leaders are prone to being too soft or too aggressive. Like my coworker, Mary, we can be so empathetic that we take on the pain or discomfort of others, which limits our ability to speak directly and openly. Or we can choose to emotionally disconnect from others so that we may speak directly with less concern for their feelings, leaving us at risk of sounding harsh and even uncaring.
