What if the missing piece to being a great leader was as simple as being compassionate? : Donn Sorensen is the Executive Vice President of Operations for Mercy Healthy, and the author of Big-Hearted Leadership. Ben Horowitz is not your regular venture capitalist. As half of Andreessen Horowitz, one of the largest venture capital firms, he knows a thing or two about surviving the ups and downs of startup life. Horowitz, who is also the author of The Hard Thing About Hard Things, shed some truth of being a CEO. “Running your own company is incredibly emotionally challenging,” he said.