During an appearance on Barstool Sports Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, Super Bowl champion and Kansas City Chief quarterback Travis Kelce revealed one of the many reasons he admires his star girlfriend, Taylor Swift.
He explained how she “understands situations,” big and small, a skill that may sometimes elude powerful individuals who can get used to feeling like all the pieces revolves around them. “She’s very self-aware. And I think that’s why I actually began to fall in love with her, how honest she is round her friends [and] family,” he said. “It could be crazy for someone to have that much attention … and she just keeps it so calm and cool.”
Writing about power in Harvard Business ReviewJulie Battilana and Tiziana Casciaro say, “We are all susceptible to its intoxicating effects. While power is essential to taking control and leading change, it also leaves you vulnerable to two insidious traps—hubris and self-absorption—that can not only undermine your own effectiveness but also undermine the effectiveness of your team.”
High achievers can develop a type of blindness to the people around them and their experiences, they write, resulting in declining productivity worldwide. “You can’t lead colleagues you don’t understand—and people aren’t motivated or able to give their best effort if they perceive you as detached and uninterested in them. You may be able to push through in the short term, but ultimately their performance will suffer and your leadership may be questioned,” the authors write.
As we have all seen in the news, Swift is an incredibly empathetic leader, stopping her performance mid-show to call out for help to a distraught audience and at all times taking the time to publicly thank the employees of the venues she performs at.
Battilana and Casciaro argue that leaders who can cultivate a culture of humility, empathy, and accountability avoid the traps of pride and egocentrism, and increase their very own effectiveness in addition to the performance of their teams.