Disruptive Empathy

Disruptive Empathy

The Kindest Leader in the Room Can Still Build a Cult

The most popular lightning in a bottle isn't always something you can pour out

Eric Near's avatar
Eric Near
Jul 02, 2026
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I want to be careful here, because the person I’m describing does not exist as a villain in this story. That is exactly what makes this worth writing about.

Picture a leader who is, by any reasonable measure, the real thing. Not the LinkedIn version of empathic (which is to say: someone who posts about vulnerability and gives TED-style talks about psycho…

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