There’s no doubt that the world has profoundly changed—and has become nearly unrecognizable—since my book, Lead From the Heart, was first published in 2011. In fact, when it came out, many business leaders heard the word “heart” and instinctively assumed its author had to be a spiritualist, a nut, or someone who didn’t get business. That word “heart” you see, has always conveyed soft, weak, and ineffective management.

In the decade since, however, there’s been a seismic shift in how people view leadership, their jobs, and the world of work as a whole, pushing all of us to reassess what management practices positively motivate human beings in the workplace.

Largely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting “Great Resignation,” a fundamental shift has occurred in the relationship between employees and employers. And because people have grown incredibly weary of working for uncaring or even toxic bosses who ignore their well-being and happiness, we’ve reached an inflection point—a clearly defined moment in time—when organizations now must choose whether they will employ managers who will honor humanity rather than exploit it.

It’s now 11 years later, and I’m about to publish a fully revised and updated second edition of Lead From the Heart. In it, I make the case that we have an unprecedented opportunity to reinvent how we lead and manage people in our workplaces tied to the premise that when human beings are thriving, organizations naturally thrive as well.

One thing that’s changed for certain since 2011 is that virtually everyone now believes that our traditional model of leadership is doing more harm than good to employee well-being, engagement, and retention. And with employees the world over reassessing their jobs—and with organizations grappling with how to compete for top talent—the importance of leading from the heart cannot be overstated. I’m entirely certain that the need for the information and inspiration provided by this book is greater now than perhaps ever before. And, as you’ll read in the following excerpt, its message is backed up by emerging science which proves that how workplace managers make their employees feel is far more important to their success than they ever might have imagined.

Read the full article about reimagining leadership by Mark C. Crowley at Stanford Social Innovation Review.