Empathy: The Innovator’s Superpower

THRIVE TODAY JOURNAL  Spring Edition  #Spring2025 

Written By: Natalie Born

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What if I told you that the most powerful tool you have as an innovator isn’t your strategy, your tech stack, or even your budget? It’s empathy.

Empathy isn’t just a soft skill—it’s the silent engine behind breakthrough ideas, sticky products, and long-term customer loyalty. We now live in a world where we rush to launch, automate, and optimize everything through AI. It can be easy to forget the one thing that truly differentiates us from the machines, the ability to create understanding and truly empathize with our customers and audience.

From Customer Service to Strategy

I didn’t start in innovation. I started on the phones. In customer service, you learn quickly: if you don’t listen, you can’t help. That same principle carried me through training, project management, and eventually product development and strategy. No matter the title on my business card, one thing remained consistent—if I couldn’t deeply understand the person on the other side of the solution, the solution would fail, and that failure would happen time and time again.

One of the early lessons I learned is that products often fail not because they’re technically flawed, but because they don’t reflect the customer’s reality. We think we know the customer and we often base it on what we want. We imagine how they’ll use what we’ve built. But assumptions are dangerous when disconnected from the needs of the customer.

Empathy is Not Just a Feeling - It's a Framework

When we talk about empathy, we often think about feeling sorry for someone. But empathy in innovation is more than emotion. It’s insight. It’s curiosity. It’s taking the time to sit across from your customer—not to pitch, not to defend, but to learn. Eventually as we learn we begin to pick up on patterns.

This is why I’m a huge advocate of using tools like the Empathy Map.

 

 

Whether I’m coaching a team or building a product, I always go back to these four quadrants:

• What does the customer think and feel?
• What do they see and hear?
• What do they say and do?
• What are their pains and gains?

It’s a simple exercise, but it uncovers gold. You begin to see not just what your customers are saying, but what they mean. You spot patterns. You hear pain points that your roadmap doesn’t yet address. And if you listen long enough, you’ll hear the opportunities.

 

 

Why Women May Lead with Empathy

While empathy is available to all of us, research suggests it may come more naturally to women. That’s not a stereotype—it’s a strength. In a boardroom or client meeting, I’ve watched women lean into emotional intelligence to catch what others miss: hesitation in a client’s voice, a shift in team morale, the subtle frustration that hides behind silence.

I believe that when we honor and integrate empathy into leadership and product decisions, we create more inclusive, useful, and successful outcomes. But let’s be clear, empathy is not a gendered gift—it’s a leadership skill. One that must be cultivated and practiced.

Building for Many, Not Just One

One of the most common pitfalls I see in product teams is building a custom solution for a single client—and then assuming it will scale. That’s not empathy. That’s customer appeasement. True empathy means listening to many, identifying shared pain, and building scalable solutions that serve the broader market. Or another way of saying it:

 “Innovation at its core is the ability to surface and monetize patterns.”  

You can’t find patterns without listening. Without talking to 10, 15, or 50 customers. Without asking, “Why did you choose us?” and “What keeps you up at night?” Without comparing notes between what customers say they want and what their behavior actually shows.

That’s empathy in action.

Customer Conversations: Your Competitive Advantage

There was a pivotal moment in my career where my team and I were developing a new product, and our competitor had a similar offering already in market. We could have rushed to match them feature-for-feature. But instead, we asked our customers a simple question: What’s missing in the tools you’re currently using?

Their answers surprised us.

It wasn’t about bells and whistles—it was about usability. Integration. Support. They didn’t want more; they wanted better. Because we listened, we were able to build something that not only met the market, but surpassed expectations. Not because we guessed right. But because we asked.

This is what I mean when I say empathy is a superpower. It cuts through the noise and delivers clarity.

Courageous Conversations Change Everything

I want to challenge you: when was the last time you had a courageous conversation with a customer?

Not a check-the-box survey. Not a feature demo. A real, unfiltered conversation where you asked:

• What’s not working for you right now?
• What’s something you wish we understood better?
• What would make your job easier?

These moments take vulnerability and courage. But they create trust. And in return, you’ll often get the very insight your team has been missing.

Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens in dialogue. In curiosity. In connection.

Don't Just Build - Advance

Empathy isn’t the end goal. It’s the starting point. It’s how we advance—not just as innovators, but as leaders, partners, and humans.

So, here’s my encouragement to you:

• Look at your strategic targets often. What are you trying to achieve, and are your actions aligned?
• Celebrate the wins along the way. Empathy isn’t always loud. But the impact is real. Celebrate when your team listens well, shifts course, or improves the customer experience because of what they heard.
• Keep listening. No matter how far you’ve come, there’s more to learn.

If you want to future-proof your business, lead with empathy. If you want to build something that lasts, start with listening. If you want to stand out in a crowded market, don’t out-shout—out-understand. Because at the end of the day, empathy is the bridge between a problem and a breakthrough. And when you build that bridge, innovation follows. Empathy is an innovator’s superpower. Let’s start using it like one.

What has been your experience?  
       We'd love to hear your thoughts below.

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Author: Natalie Born

 

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