Executives need to be able to operate two modes and use them appropriately at the appropriate times. I find that when an individual executive is sitting across from somebody else, they actually trying to convince the other person to understand them. And then again, sometimes making business decisions based upon a specific person. You need to operate in sociologist mode and make business decisions,. Then figure out how they affect people, and then understand how you can have that conversation with the people across from them  at any one time.