Made With Empathy

I was in a meeting last week with a leader who said something that I have been reflecting on:
"I'm so tired of being the only one who thinks the people side matters."

She wasn't wrong about her strategy. She had the data. The timeline. The plan.

But every meeting felt like a battle to justify why understanding what people actually need isn't "soft stuff"—it's what prevents the 70% failure rate.

I see this exhaustion everywhere:
1. Innovation leaders who know there's a difference between consumer feedback and consumer truth.
2. Culture leaders who know the difference between rolling out training and helping people discover what they need.

They're not wrong. They're just tired of swimming alone.

Finish this sentence:
"I'm so tired of defending _____________."

I'll go first: why the emotional truth matters more than another data deck.