{
  "id": 12795116,
  "title": "Skims cofounder Emma Grede says leaders can be empathetic without treating employees like family",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/skims-cofounder-emma-grede-says-leaders-can-be-empathetic-without",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-08T05:09:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/skims-emma-grede-leadership-advice-good-leaders-friends-2026-10"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Emma Grede, co-founder of Skims, argues that empathy and business acumen can coexist. The entrepreneur explained to the Boardroom podcast host Rich Kleiman that while being empathetic is crucial, leaders must also prioritize the health of their business. Grede emphasized that \"being a boss doesn't mean treating everyone like family,\" but employees should not be surprised by difficult conversations about their performance. She believes in \"radical honesty\" and that such open discussions should be a regular part of the work environment. Grede also addressed her stance on remote work, calling it \"career suicide,\" and she shared her personal philosophy of being a \"max three-hour mum\" on weekends.",
  "summary": "Emma Grede said leaders can practice radical honesty without being harsh.",
  "key_points": [
    "Empathy and business acumen can coexist, says Skims cofounder Emma Grede",
    "Leaders must prioritize business health, not treat employees like family",
    "Grede advocates for radical honesty and regular difficult conversations"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}