Are Good Managers Less Sensitive?

A study of over 4,000 managers in various fields found that managers generally scored lower than the general population in terms of emotional sensitivity, as measured through empathy, anxiety and cooperativeness. This outcome was found across all fields, even those, such as medicine, where overall empathy is higher. This finding applied across genders, although men tended to score lower than women overall. This can be a mixed blessing: whereas it enables greater objectivity in decision-making, it can also diminish approachability for subordinates.

A different study has found that over a quarter of employees think their organizations are “unempathetic,” indicating environments with more “toxicity” and mental health issues. The key for effective organizations is finding a balance, which can be worthwhile for the health of an organization.