Abstract
1. Emotions are strategies. It requires building cross-cultural emotional granularity. It sets us up to empathize automatically – a prerequisite for Collaboration.
2. If Empathy is automatic, then why do we at times fail to empathize?
3. Therefore, ever wonder why even after 100,000 years of practice, we still struggle with Collaboration?
4. Knowing this is the first step to build the collaborative mindset and skillset, without burning out or becoming cynical.
5. This brief talk will be motivational and will lay the foundation for measurement and management of a key metric required to develop the habit of applying empathy rationally.
About the speaker
Tarun Agarwala is a scholar–practitioner who turns empathy into execution.
Founder of Empanetics and creator of the Interpersonal Trust Growth Framework™ (ITGF).
Visiting Professor of Game Theory (NMIMS, CMRU)—designs live bargaining simulations for leaders.
Brings 20+ years in ICT & SaaS (Tata Communications, Dell, Lavelle Networks, Zapilio).
Specializes in Rational-Empathy—a deliberate, energy-efficient way to build measurable trust.
Helps project leaders cut decision latency, reduce rework, and align multi-stakeholder agendas.
Programs include the 90-Day Relationship Risk Management and Cross-Cultural Leadership tracks.
Academic roots: MSc Clinical Psychology (Jain University); MBA, Product Leadership.
Research focus: biofeedback/BCI for low-energy, cross-cultural empathy at scale.
Mission: counter polarization, loneliness, and meaning-loss by restoring interpersonal well-being.
Delivery style: calm, sophisticated, and outcome-obsessed—zero fluff, high standards.
Result: teams that build trust on purpose, at speed, under pressure.