This study examines how empathy influences the execution of the Army mission command philosophy. This timely discussion of empathy partly reveals how leaders can be better prepared to win in a future operating environment shaped by the complexity and speed of human interactions. Through the analysis of case-studies involving General Stanley McChrystal and Colonel Michael Steele, this thesis describes how each individual's empathetic mindset resulted in both favorable and unfavorable mission outcomes for their respective organizations. The results of the analysis point to the surprising and important ways that a leader's capacity for empathy impacts everything from shared understanding, team-building, and even accepting risk. This study concludes with a recommendation for an increased emphasis on empathy development within the Army and a list of suggested topics for future research.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)