Empathy is not a secret.

But empathy is a great thing, and I agree that people who have it are more likely to succeed.

Steve Jobs was famous for saying that people don’t know what they want until you show it to them. We aren’t all as prescient. And we cannot assume that we know what our customers, our colleagues, or our employers desire. We have to observe. We have to ask. We have to care. Then, we have to work hard to deliver.

Ultimately, empathy is about figuring out what matters to others people, and then doing something about it. In business, aligning others’ needs with our desires can be a win for all.

Sometimes, however, what we learn about other people will not coincide with what we want. Deep down, we know when someone else’s needs supersede our own, and we can choose to act in their best interests. That’s admirable. To sacrifice, to serve others’ needs before our own, is how we win at life.

We have to LISTEN.