Leading with Heart: My Journey to Empathetic Leadership

In the busy world of business development, where strategies and numbers are key, I discovered a game-changer for my leadership and our team at PropellerAds: empathy. It’s simple but powerful.

My accelerated corporate climb to Head of Business Development at PropellerAds taught me many lessons. The standout? The heart of a successful strategy is deeply understanding and valuing the people behind it – my team.

The Awakening

One Monday, something was off. The office was buzzing, but my team looked stressed. They were constantly checking revenue reports and were quite concerned about their client negotiations. So, I switched our usual strategy meeting for a real talk session in the conference room.

I shared a story about feeling overwhelmed early in my career. This opened up a wave of honest conversations. We were no longer just colleagues discussing targets; we were people sharing our struggles.

Building Bridges

That meeting was a game changer. Leading well meant really getting my team – their dreams, challenges, and motivations. Empathy became my guide.

I started regular one-on-ones. These weren’t for reviews, but for open chats. I learned about Max’s aspirations, Andrey’s new role challenges. Every story helped us build a stronger, more supportive work environment.

The Ripple Effect

Things slowly changed for the better. Our meetings became more dynamic, with ideas flowing. Work quality rose, not from longer hours, but from increased creativity and dedication. We became a team that leveraged each other’s strengths and faced challenges together.

A memorable moment was during a critical team transition with multiple promotions. The pressure was on, but we made it through, not just with skills, but by supporting each other. That success wasn’t just in numbers; it showed the strength of empathetic leadership.

A Culture of Empathy

Now, empathy is central to our team culture at PropellerAds and other projects I manage. It’s not just about being nice; it’s a key strategy that’s led to more engagement, better teamwork, and better results.

Leading with empathy has taught me it’s a strength, not a weakness. It’s understanding that behind every email, report, and meeting, there are people with their own hopes and fears. Empathetic leadership doesn’t just build a team; it builds leaders.

As we keep tackling business development challenges, our empathetic approach remains our guiding light. It keeps us striving for excellence while staying true to the values that make us human. Surely, we're always eager to grow, maintain a healthy competitive spirit throughout, and make sure to have plenty of fun and laughs along the way.