If you are struggling between the two, you are not alone.
Finding the balance matters to people who commit to lead the team with heart and goal.
Well-meaning leaders often struggle between empathy and accountability, sometimes completely removing accountability in the process.
Learning to use the word “AND” here is the practice that helps you get better at it.
"I understand what happened to you, AND let’s figure out how we are going to resolve the issue."
"I see that you tried this way, and it didn’t work. How about trying another way to reach the goal instead?"
When you're having a hard time defining the balance, write down the empathy line (here's what we understand), then write down the outcome line (here's what requires us to accomplish).
These two lines help us find the balance to hold both while staying true to our promise.
