Lead with Empathy and Vision: Adam Carabetta’s Operating System
We’ve seen how Adam Carabetta and Nick Ryland launched Formative Search from a shoebox office into a cultural powerhouse. We’ve explored how they build teams that don’t just survive, they thrive, using strengths, psychological safety, and a zero-tolerance policy for toxicity.
But none of that happens without leadership.
The kind that sees people. I really see them.
In Part 3 of this Talent Talk Asia Episode 59 deep-dive, we go inside Adam’s leadership operating system: a blend of radical empathy, relentless vision, and quiet courage that has turned Formative Search into a retention magnet and a client loyalty engine.
🎧 Listen to the full episode: A chat with New Energy Expert Adam Carabetta
This isn’t soft. This is strategic empathy, and it’s the future of recruitment leadership.
The Day Empathy Won a £2.4m Mandate
Let me tell you a story Adam shared off-mic.
A major renewable energy developer was running a global search for a Chief Sustainability Officer. Three global giants were in the mix. Fees? £800k each.
Formative Search wasn’t even on the radar.
Then the CHRO called Adam, personally.
“We’ve shortlisted the usual suspects. But I need someone who gets our why. Not just the role.”
Adam didn’t pitch. He didn’t send a deck.
He listened.
For 45 minutes.
He asked:
What keeps you up at night about this hire?
What does success look like in year three?
How has the last hire failed you?
By the end, the CHRO was in tears.
“No one’s ever asked me that.”
Three days later, Formative Search had the mandate.
Exclusive.
They placed the CSO in 42 days.
Fee: £2.4m (multi-hire framework).
All because Adam listened with empathy.
A 2025 Deloitte study found that empathy-driven leaders close 41% more high-value deals than transactional ones. Adam doesn’t just know this, he lives it.
The Vision That Binds
Every quarter, Formative Search shuts down for a full day.
No calls. No emails. No Slack.
Just the team. A beach. A whiteboard.
They call it “Vision Reset”.
Adam stands up and asks three questions:
Where are we going? (3-year horizon)
Why does it matter? (to us, to clients, to the planet)
How will we know we’re winning? (beyond revenue)
Then, silence.
No one speaks for five minutes.
People write. Reflect. Feel.
Only then do they share.
“We don’t dictate vision,” Adam told me. “We co-create it. Because if it’s not theirs, they won’t fight for it.”
Last year’s output?
“Net Zero by 2035” – internal carbon-neutral goal
“100 Lives Changed” – pro bono placements for displaced talent
“Rooftop University” – internal L&D academy
A 2025 Gallup report shows that employees who co-create vision are 5.3 times more likely to stay long-term. Adam’s quarterly ritual isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a retention engine.
The 1:1 That Changed Everything
Every team member gets a monthly 1:1 with Adam or Nick.
Not a performance review.
A human check-in.
The agenda is simple:
How are you really? (0–10)
What’s one win this month?
What’s one friction?
How can I support you?
That’s it.
No KPIs. No pipeline. No “stretch targets”.
Just a connection.
One consultant, Maya, rated herself a 4.
“I’m drowning. I love the work, but I’m missing my daughter’s bedtimes.”
Adam didn’t offer “work harder” or “manage your time”.
He asked:
“What would a 10 look like?”
Maya: “Leave by 5:30 three days a week.”
Adam: “Done. We’ll redistribute your desk. No questions.”
Six months later, Maya billed £1.1m, her best year ever.
And she’s still there.
A 2025 Harvard study found that one act of manager support increases loyalty by 67%. Adam’s 1:1s aren’t charity, they’re ROI.
The “No” That Saved the Culture
In year three, Formative Search was approached by a private equity firm.
“We’ll invest £5m. You scale to 100 heads in 18 months. Standard PE playbook.”
Adam and Nick said no.
Not because they didn’t want growth.
Because they knew what it would cost.
“We’d have to hire fast. Compromise on values. Push KPIs. Become the thing we left.”
They chose culture over capital.
Instead, they bootstrapped. Grew organically. Stayed true.
Today, they’re profitable, debt-free, and 92% retained.
A 2025 McKinsey report shows that culture-led firms outperform PE-backed peers by 34% in employee NPS. Adam’s “no” wasn’t weakness; it was strategic courage.
The Empathy Ripple Effect
Empathy isn’t just internal.
It’s client magic.
Candidate Experience
Every candidate gets a handwritten thank-you card after the interview.
Every. Single. One.
“We’re not a factory,” Adam said. “We’re a relationship business.”
Result: 87% candidate NPS. Industry average: 41%.
Client Loyalty
When a client lost a key hire to a counteroffer, Adam didn’t blame. He flew to Tokyo, on his dime, to rebuild trust.
The client signed a 3-year exclusive framework.
The Leadership Dashboard
Adam tracks three metrics above all:
Metric Target Current
Team Happiness (0–10) 8.5+ 8.9
Vision Alignment (%) 90%+ 94%
Empathy Acts (weekly) 15+ 22
“Billings follow culture. Not the other way round.”
The Dark Side of Empathy
Adam is honest:
“Empathy can exhaust you. I’ve burned out twice. You have to protect your own tank.”
His boundaries:
No email after 7 pm
One “deep rest” day per month (no meetings, no tech)
Therapy every fortnight
“You can’t pour from an empty cup. Self-love isn’t selfish, it’s strategic.”
Your Empathy Action Plan
Ready to lead like Adam? Start today:
Run one Vision Reset with your team (half-day, offsite)
Replace one KPI review with a human check-in
Say no to one thing that compromises culture
Send one handwritten card to a candidate
Block one “deep rest” day in your calendar
What’s Next?
In Part 4, we’ll explore how Formative Search designs a thriving agency culture, from rooftop yoga to “failure parties” to mental health days.
Stay with me.
Because culture isn’t a poster.
It’s a promise kept.
Series Navigation
Part 1: Achieve Recruitment Agency Success with Andrea Ross and Adam Carabetta
Part 2: How Adam builds high-performing teams using strengths and psychological safety
Part 4: Designing a thriving agency culture, wellness, rituals, and rooftop yoga
Part 5: Future-proofing your agency for 2030, with Adam Carabetta and Andrea Ross