The Empathy Edge

Today, I want to talk about something that’s been heavy on my heart: the importance of holding onto Real History as it’s unfolding, not just to understand today but to avoid repeating mistakes tomorrow.  Lately, I have felt anxious about the world we’re building and the future we’re leaving for our kids. When I look at what’s happening, I can’t help but think about the role models I want my s...

We prep ourselves for so many challenging conversations, whether asking for a raise, delivering a tough performance review, asking for more budget, or even debating a political issue as if we're going to war. We brace for the confrontation. That puts us in a really unhelpful place to have true connection and conversation - and that just intensifies the misunderstanding and animosity with no helpfu...

One of the hardest jobs in business belongs to anyone with a C in their title. Today you’ll hear from Tina Kuhn and Neal Frick, co-authors and successful executives of global companies who have gone on this journey and had tremendous success. We talk about the ROI of empathy from their own experience and what they have learned about embracing empathy as a strategic advantage. We discuss how fear a...

What's love got to do with it, as Tina Turner famously asked? Is there even a role for it in…the workplace? Turns out, yes, but let's be clear on what we mean by that!  If you want to better resolve conflict, create inclusive cultures, and harmonize with upset customers to turn them into raving fans, this episode is for you! Today, Chloé Valdary and I have a delicious discussion about the thr...

Welcome to Courage to Advance, hosted by Kim Bohr and brought to you by SparkEffect, in partnership with The Empathy Edge. Tune in to our subseries every 3rd Thursday, right here on The Empathy Edge ! Or check us out at www. CourageToAdvancePodcast.com. In this episode, we dive deep into the often oversimplified process of CEO evaluations. We explore why boards need to look beyond traditional metr...

Your organization may be missing out on the talent, innovation, and productivity of your workforce because of your own actions! I'm talking about accommodating disability. When we fail to invest in mindset and policy shifts, we fail to optimize the people within our organizations. After experiencing complete memory loss due to a brain injury, my guest, Julie Harris, defied expectations as she foun...

BONUS EPISODE! Join me for a conversation with President and COO of SparkEffect, Kim Bohr as we kick off our partnership to provide you with actionable content for the next year on their podcast subseries, Courage to Advance . We talk about Kim's journey and work in helping leaders embrace change and marry data, technology, and human-centric practices to achieve success. You will love her insights...

Halloween is just around the corner, and the ghouls, goblins, and…gladiators will be out in full force, along with spooky music, haunted houses, chills, and thrills. While humans have a weird desire to scare ourselves for our amusement, fear and horror in the workplace is far less desirable. And nothing can strike more fear into our hearts than scary bosses.  But are those leaders scary...or...

Enjoy this unique discussion with three brave women, two live under the shadow of fear for themself and their child, and one is a cisgender ally: Kate Brookes, Jayna Sheats, & Jeannie Gainsburg. We talk about their own stories that led them to this work, how the increase in anti-trans legislation impacts them, what it's like to parent a trans teen, and their most poignant moments along the way...

Happiness seems as elusive and subjective at work as empathy. But there is a link between the two, and we're going to get into that today! My guest is Dr. Tracy Brower, a PhD sociologist studying work-life fulfillment and happiness.  Today we discuss what happiness at work means, how happiness is linked to empathy, and the research around what happy workplaces experience in terms of engagemen...

Welcome to another special episode brought to you by the great folks at Businessolver! Their annual State of Workplace Empathy Report has been my go-to for years in finding out exactly how everyone from CEOs to employees thinks and feels about empathy in the workplace. The 2024 report offers so much valuable information to help all of us navigate the new world of work. In today's episode, Part 2,...

Hispanic. Women. Gay. Transgender. Neurodiverse. Black. All of these identities make up the rich mosaic of our workplaces. We know the data shows that diverse experiences drive better business decisions to identify unseen risks or opportunities, but have you considered this next group we talk about today - First Generation Professionals? This is a group that studies show exhibits a strong percenta...

“For all the bold leaders embracing a more human-centered approach and performing at the highest levels, your choices impact and influence your colleagues, families, and communities, that's a win for us all.” This is just a small snippet from the dedication of The Empathy Dilemma which is out today! I am so excited to share this book with all of you who have been with me as listeners to this podca...

Today, I have a wonderful conversation with Dr. Yosi Amram, author of Spiritually Intelligent Leaders: How to Inspire by Being Inspired. We talk about what spiritual intelligence is and how it compares to emotional intelligence, how it is not limited to a religious doctrine or even a spiritual belief in God, and how it contributes to effective leadership and high-performing teams. We talk about wh...

What makes an excellent leader? Today my guest shares why he believes that leaders who develop their empathy and emotional intelligence are not just better leaders – they become excellent leaders. An excellent leader looks after their own wellbeing by looking after the wellbeing of the people they lead. Markus van Alphen is a leadership psychologist, author, teacher, trainer, organizational consul...

According to a CPP global human capital study, 89% of employees let their conflicts with co-workers escalate. My guest today, Kristine Scott, is out to build a future where the energy of conflict gets harnessed to create pro-social change, not division. Kristine shares how she got into this work of coaching teams on how to resolve conflict and what she learned from young people on the street deali...

Welcome to a special episode brought to you by the great folks at Businessolver! Their annual State of Workplace Empathy Report has been my go-to for years in finding out exactly how everyone from CEOs to employees thinks and feels about empathy in the workplace. The 2024 report offers so much valuable information to help all of us navigate the new world of work. Today, I'm honored to discuss Part...

Only 1 month away from the birthday of The Empathy Dilemma! I am so excited to share with you the last pillar today - joy. What the heck does joy have to do with empathy or high performance? Well, joy is where many leaders get stuck. When we talk about joy at work, it means ensuring people enjoy their work, encouraging work friendships, and creating a thriving culture, even when the work itself is...

What are inclusive cities? How can we shape our cities to be more inclusive for individuals and organizations? Too often, we take things for granted when designing cities and don't realize how they actually may not work for many of our citizens. Whether it's public transport, green spaces, or even how we decide what to plow first after a snowstorm - there are perspectives we don't consider in our...

Let me be clear: Humans ARE animals. Empathy for animals is not about thinking they're cute. It's about creating a strong connection where we understand their unique needs and habitats so we can be part of the solution to increase biodiversity, avoid extinction, and promote a healthy planet for ALL of us. Today, I am delighted to speak to Jim Wharton. We talk about how and why to create stronger c...

Empathetic marketing is having a moment. But really, this trend has been a long time coming. Buyers today are savvy, everything is available online, and they have no patience for brands that don't understand them or their needs. My guest today, Tim Leon, coined the term Return on Empathy and talks about all that companies gain when they engage in more empathetic marketing tactics. We discuss what...

According to the NIH, an estimated 6.7M Americans 65+ are living with Alzheimer's dementia. This number could grow to 13.8 million by 2060 barring the development of medical breakthroughs. Today, you'll learn why dementia is not a disease, but a symptom, and what caregivers go through, experience, and need - especially from their managers and workplace colleagues. I talk with Barbara J. Huelat abo...

Today we're diving into Pillar Four of the 5 Pillars of Effective Empathetic Leadership featured in the new book coming September 10, The Empathy Dilemma - Decisiveness.  Yes, factoring in various viewpoints is the way forward for empathetic leaders - and enables us to see more opportunities and avoid more risks. But we must combine that with swift and decisive action to make a call. Leaving...

What does it mean to tap into empathy and reimagine the life and experiences of someone only mentioned in a few sentences in history, whose story remains untold? My guest is Esther Goldenberg, educator and author of the Biblical fiction novel, The Scrolls of Deborah . We discuss how a few lines in the Bible sparked Esther's curiosity to imagine this woman's entire life story and perspective, how s...

How do you get analytical, process-driven people like engineers, lawyers, and doctors to see the value of empathy and human connection? It's not that they CAN'T embrace it. It's just that they see the world and how to solve problems differently. My guest, Dr. Nicole Price believes two things: 1) everyone wants to do a good job and 2) empathetic leadership is critical to helping to leverage that de...