Work as we know it is changing due to technology. Cultural norms are changing dramatically. Global pandemics serve as living proof that, whether we like it or not, we are all interconnected. Disorienting change occurs at such a rapid pace. Our sense of identity is being undermined, and our capacity for adaptation is being tested. Thomas J. Hurley, however, see an opportunity to unleash the floodgates of human potential where so many see a threat-if we can shift the way we view work and leadership.

He had devoted the last five years to figuring out how workplace technological, business, and cultural trends have led us to this turning point. The end result is a strong and useful guide to the future of work for managers and employees. Only if we let go of our connection to our traditional (and vanishing) views about careers and what "good work" looks like can the future be better.

The Empathy Benefit presents a new way of thinking about careers that separate our sense of pride and personal identity from our job title and connect it to our sense of purpose in order to address the profound changes taking place in the workplace. It does this by drawing on the knowledge gained from interviews with hundreds of executives.

The authors contend that activating purpose will encourage learning, engagement, and empowerment naturally and result in new types of pride and identity among workers. We can only accept and appreciate the benefits of learning and adapting to new realities-and support our organizations in doing the same-when we let go of our inflexible career identities.

Naturally, this shift is challenging. It demands leaders who, in the face of intense competition and outside pressures, can draw in and inspire cognitively diverse teams driven by a strong sense of purpose in a setting of psychological safety. A strong leadership style has always been necessary for adapting to the future of work. Adapting is now a leadership need as a pandemic disrupts so many facets of the workplace. The Empathy Benefit is a crucial manual for assisting leaders in overcoming that challenge.