"Compassion is the key": Management guru Prof Richard Boyatzis

Professor Richard Boyatzis is an organisational theorist and expert in the field of emotional intelligence, behavior change and competence. He heads the Department of Organizational Behavior, Psychology and Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University in the US. Photo: Handout

Business leaders are always struggling with the question of how to motivate, engage and inspire positive change in employees across industries. As a renowned expert on leadership and emotional intelligence, Prof Richard Boyatzis has joined with two colleagues to author a book that provides a compelling answer to the challenge of increasing employee engagement and empowerment in the workplace.

In Malaysia, engagement among employees is an area needs improvement. According to management consulting service Aon Hewitt’s 2017 Trends in Global Employee Engagement Report, just 59% of workers felt good about their job. By the end of 2018, levels rose slightly to reach 63%. Despite the improvement, the message is clear: Malaysian business leaders need to inspire and reconnect with a disengaged workforce.