Kevin Sneader, Global Managing Partner at McKinsey & Company, stresses the value of leading with empathy:

How should leaders lead in this next normal?

When I was chatting with a CEO recently, he said to me that the biggest characteristic he exercised in leading his corporation wasn't financial acumen, wasn't an insight into understanding organizational dynamics, it was actually showing a little love. Showing a little love, that's an odd thing for a CEO to say as the number one attribute. But we're in the midst of a pandemic and that's what's required. It means empathy over facts. It means elevating the to-be list to be at the same level of importance as the to-do list. In other words, which CEO wants to show up today? To be caring, to be determined, to be confident. Think about that.