We have long underemphasized the importance of soft skills, and the power of an individual contributor in a technical environment. Soft skills like empathy, adaptability, communication, compromise, creative thinking, and listening sometimes are overlooked in favor of just getting the job done. This concept of bringing your “whole self” and prioritizing soft skills in the workplace is often considered much more of an idealistic myth rather than reality. This myth is so permeated in our current culture that it has become a common pop-culture troupe—appearing in TV shows like Severance, Silicon Valley, Black Mirror, and Ugly Betty. We’re still developing new norms that facilitate an empathetic understanding of human culture. Acting with urgency to develop these norms, starting with the individual is the first step to creating a more trusted, collaborative, inclusive culture. Through this talk, I’ll explore the importance of embracing the ethics of the individual within a larger communal group, and its lasting impact on a larger industry.