The Role of Empathy in Leadership with Alberto J. Ortiz

Leading with empathy at scale gets harder, not easier, once a business spans 2,700 offices. In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, hosts Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa are joined by Alberto J. Ortiz, CEO and President of ATAX, who spent a decade at H&R Block before leading the tax franchise's own growth.

In this episode we explore:

• What empathy looks like in high-performance environments

• How leaders balance results with people-first leadership

• The role of empathy in building trust across large teams

• Lessons from leading across diverse communities

• Why empathy is a key driver of sustainable growth

Availability Is a Form of Empathy

Asked how he maintains empathy across thousands of offices, Alberto points to access, not sentiment: top performers "can set up time in my calendar, and connect with me 365-24-7." Franchisees know his family. He's transparent about being reachable when it matters.

Personal Goals Drive Business Goals

When an operations director summarized a struggling franchisee's performance, Alberto stopped the conversation: "what is their personal goal?" They didn't know. "How are you going to improve their business if we don't even know what motivates them?" That single question flipped the next conversation completely.

Find a Way to Say Yes

A franchisee in Colorado couldn't afford her franchise fee. Rather than turn her away, ATAX financed it 100 percent. "This franchisee just turned 30, just opened her third location this past tax season," Alberto says. "She's in the top 25 in one of her locations nationwide."

That same instinct, building the internal trust and access that makes a promise credible before asking for anything back, is exactly what Zero Company helps brands design into their own customer relationships.

Alberto's practical step for any leader: "get to know your team, get to know your team members and truly get to know your team members," and never cancel a one-on-one just because there's nothing urgent to discuss.

Key Takeaways

• Alberto draws a sharp line between empathy and sympathy: sympathy commiserates in the misery, empathy understands the reality and helps someone move forward

• Availability is his core empathy-at-scale practice: top performers can book time on his calendar any day, any hour, because franchisees need to know help is reachable when it matters

• “Personal goals drive business goals”: when an ops director didn’t know a struggling franchisee’s personal motivation, that gap explained why coaching wasn’t working. Once uncovered, the next conversation was a complete turnaround

• ATAX financed a Colorado franchisee’s fee 100 percent when she couldn’t afford it. She opened her third location by age 30 and became a top-25 performer

• “Get to know you” sheets capture preferences like how someone wants to be recognized, learned the hard way after publicly praising a leader who preferred private recognition

• More than 60% of taxpayers still choose a human tax preparer over software, because a tax professional becomes a trusted guide through major life events, something AI can’t replicate

FAQ

What’s the difference between empathy and sympathy, according to Alberto Ortiz?
Sympathy sits in the misery with someone. Empathy understands their reality, listens to the real concern, and stays by their side in a way that actually helps them move forward and improve.

How does Alberto Ortiz maintain empathy while leading 2,700 offices?
Primarily through availability: he’s transparent with franchisees, lets them know his family, and makes himself reachable on his calendar any day or hour, especially for top performers who need something urgently.

What did Alberto Ortiz mean by “find a way to say yes”?
It’s an ATAX core value illustrated by financing a Colorado franchisee’s fee 100% when she couldn’t afford it upfront; she went on to open her third location by age 30 and become one of the system’s top performers.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa

🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta

Learn more about Alberto Ortiz at atax.com. Watch the video: The Role of Empathy in Leadership with Alberto J. Ortiz. Read more: Empathy at Scale Is Built Through Availability and Follow-Through.