Neuroscience shows that individuals in high-power positions exhibit reduced motor resonance when observing others. This is a measurable neural change indicating diminished automatic empathy, not just a metaphorical shift in attitude or a conscious choice.
Organizations mistakenly conflate visibility with value. The skills for self-promotion—taking credit and controlling narratives—are fundamentally different from those of actual leadership, which involve empowering others. This confusion leads to promoting the best self-promoters, not the best leaders.
Contrary to the popular belief that power corrupts, research suggests it acts as an amplifier. If a person is already "pro-social"—oriented towards helping others—power can increase their empathy and effectiveness. If they are selfish, power will magnify those negative traits.
Companies often cannot differentiate between healthy confidence and narcissism. Narcissistic individuals excel at self-promotion and appearing decisive, which are frequently misidentified as leadership qualities, leading to their accelerated advancement over more competent but less self-aggrandizing peers.
To bridge the growing gap between leadership and individual contributors, executives should actively participate in their team's tasks. Taking a support ticket, sitting in on a sprint, or pair programming serves as a "Gemba walk" that provides firsthand experience and maintains an empathetic connection.
As leaders rise, direct reports are less likely to provide challenging feedback, creating an executive bubble. To get unfiltered information, leaders should schedule regular one-on-ones with employees several levels down the org chart with the express purpose of listening, not dictating.
Research indicates individuals with lower socioeconomic status have higher empathetic accuracy because their survival often depends on reading social cues. As leaders ascend financially and socially, this "empathy muscle" atrophies from disuse, creating an emotional and experiential divide with their teams.
Despite posters championing collaboration, a company's real priorities are revealed through promotion decisions. When individuals who manipulate metrics or undermine teams are advanced, it proves those behaviors are what the organization actually rewards, rendering official values meaningless.
To counteract the unconscious changes that come with power, leaders should pre-commit to their values. Identify two or three mentors or peers who will tell you the uncomfortable truth and hold you accountable to a written list of personal red lines you create before your values begin to shift.