As a CEO and founder of five successful companies, Dr. Ryan Senters has transformed humble beginnings into a $25 million enterprise, including two non-profits, with more than 500 employees. Beyond his business acumen, he is a performance psychologist, leadership expert, and a devoted foster dad of eleven children.
Senters’ commitment to empathy-driven leadership extends into his nonprofit work and his podcast, “Unleash Your Purpose,” where he inspires others to build businesses that are both impactful and profitable. We asked Senters to tell us a bit about where — and how — empathy fits into his extraordinary journey of entrepreneurial success.
What role does empathy play in entrepreneurial success and how can you cultivate this quality?
As a young leader, I worked for a boss who didn’t even know I adopted our son. He never asked. I barely saw him. He never told me I was doing a good job. I would only see him if I did something wrong. I was miserable. I vowed never to be that type of leader. Every person needs appreciation. Think of the love language at work as “words of affirmation.”
A third of a person’s life is at work, they need feedback and to know that the person they work for cares. Being a leader is not being “in charge” but caring for those “in your charge.”
Many believe that empathy and profitability are at odds. As a business leader, how do you reconcile the two?
The goal of a business leader is to add value. It can be with a product or service but the focus is to provide value to the customer. If you lead first by adding value, the market will distribute profit as a reward.
How do you integrate empathy into your leadership style while ensuring your companies remain profitable and competitive?
The primary way to integrate empathy into your organization as a leader is to care for those within your care. Old school, traditional leadership is about obtaining a rank or position of certain power. However, true leadership is being someone who is there to serve. The only type of leadership is servant leadership. Leaders are called to serve and support those in their care.
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Can you share an example of a business decision you’ve made that was heavily influenced by empathy, and what the outcome was?
We recently started a staff care fund where employees can reach out to someone on the team when they are going through some personal issues. We have used these funds to help pay for counseling sessions after a person’s divorce, to provide support through cancer treatment, and we have even hosted several baby showers.
The best part is that it has developed a culture of caring throughout the entire company. The staff even helped a co-worker take their first foster child in. We are learning that empathy and a culture of caring is contagious. You just need to start.
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As a foster dad, what lessons about empathy and resilience have you learned from your children that you apply to your business practices?
As a foster dad, I have learned the need to give all my children who come into my home “second chances.” I am a big believer that kids need a chance for a “do-over.” When kids meet an adult for the first time, many times they avoid eye contact and try to ignore them. However, I prep the kids that they are meeting an adult and to make eye contact and shake their hand. This is a long-lost life skill nowadays. My 13-year-old son has some anxiety and struggles to do it every time. However, when we have a family friend over to the house if my son doesn’t shake their hand or greet them, I will call a do-over. I will let my friend know my son and I are practicing greeting and don’t mind us as we will try it again.
Our teams need the same thing. They need a “do-over,” or a second chance. As long as it isn’t an integrity issue, there is no worry about making mistakes. Mistakes are part of the process. It is how growth happens many times. Mistakes aren’t deadly, they are a chance for learning. When a team member understand that a mistake isn’t fatal, they tend to take more initiative, try new ideas, and take ownership of more projects — and that’s a very important thing.
