# How Personal Tragedy Transformed Care.com CEO Brad Wilson's Leadership Style Brad Wilson shares how his wife's illness and death reshaped his approach to leadership. - **Source:** [Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com) - **Published:** 2026-07-20 - **Topic:** [Leadership](https://brifing.si/c/leadership) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/9e5ba721-8ed9-43b8-92e2-3b08bc5ba622 ## The Impact of Personal Tragedy on Leadership Care.com CEO Brad Wilson explains how his wife's illness and death made him a more empathetic leader. This experience deepened his understanding of the platform's users. ## The Importance of Empathy Wilson discusses how personal experiences transformed his leadership style. He emphasizes the critical role of empathy, especially in the sensitive field of caregiving. ## Becoming More Open to Risk Wilson notes that the challenges he faced made him more willing to take risks. This shift enabled him to make bolder decisions in his business. ## The Approach of Modern CEO The Modern CEO newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership. Wilson's story highlights the importance of this perspective. ## Human Experience in Leadership Wilson's experiences demonstrate the significance of human experience in leadership. Personal hardships can make leaders more understanding and effective. ## Looking to the Future Brad Wilson's story underscores how empathy and risk-taking are crucial for future success. This approach can serve as an inspiration for other leaders. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.fastcompany.com/91575362/personal-tragedy-made-care-com-ceo-brad-wilson-a-more-empathetic-leader-and-more-tolerant-of-risk — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._