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In today's episode of Courage to Advance, brought to you by SparkEffect, Kim Bohr and Tracy Wik, VP of Business Strategy at Harrison Assessments, challenge traditional approaches to workplace stress. Drawing from decades of behavioral data and leadership experience, they expose how burnout often stems from unconscious behavioral patterns rather than workload alone.
With 83% of U.S. workers suffering from workplace stress and 76% saying it affects their personal relationships, organizations continue investing in wellness programs and workload reduction—yet engagement and productivity still suffer. Why? They're treating symptoms, not causes.
Kim and Tracy demonstrate how our greatest strengths—whether being extraordinarily helpful, highly empathetic, or achievement-driven—can become our biggest derailers when overused. Drawing from Dr. Dan Harrison's research on leadership paradoxes, they reveal how balancing seemingly contradictory behaviors is essential for sustainable leadership success.
You'll discover:
Why high performers unknowingly sabotage their effectivenessThe critical difference between personality traits and behavioral tendenciesPractical strategies for breaking the burnout cycleHow to develop a more expansive leadership repertoireDon't miss the special offer for listeners to access the Harrison Assessment tool, complete with a professional debrief. Additional resources, including a self-reflection guide, are available at CourageToAdvancePodcast.com.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
"People don't work in aggregate. They work in moments, they work in conversations, they work in individual connections." - Tracy Wik, VP of Business Strategy
Episode References:
Self-Defeating Behaviors that Kill Good Work: The Leadership Triangle by Dan Harrison, Pd.D.The Benefits of Employee Engagement: Gallop 10th-meta-analysis researchLeadership Bermuda Triangle Assessment: 15 Warning Signs of Team Misalignment & PerformanceAbout Tracey Wik, VP of Business Strategy, Harrison Assessments:
A disruptive talent management strategist, Tracy Wik transforms how executives view their workplaces and careers. With over two decades of experience, she sees beyond spreadsheets to unlock human potential, helping leaders reimagine what's possible. A recognized speaker on strategy, culture and women's entrepreneurship, Tracy developed innovative executive coaching programs to advance women into senior leadership roles and serves as a Founding Forty Board member of DePaul University's Women's Entrepreneurship Institute, the only research-based women's accelerator globally. Her mission: make executives love Monday mornings by turning workplaces from soul-crushing machines into engines of human possibility.
About SparkEffect
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
Connect with Tracey Wik and Harrison Assessments:
Harrison Assessments: harrisonassessments.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/traceywik
Connect with Kim Bohr and SparkEffect:
SparkEffect: sparkeffect.com
Courage to Advance: sparkeffect.com/courage-to-advance-podcast
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sparkeffect
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kimbohr
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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Today, sports fans and high achievers, you're in for a treat! Empathy is not soft. It's not weak. Nothing thrills me more than when I can share examples of empathetic leadership that help win national championships or create winning sports dynasties. You may recall my example of Golden State Warriors coach, Steve Kerr, in my book, The Empathy Dilemma.
Emmy award-winning producer and sports broadcaster Jen Mueller shares how she's seen coaching and leadership styles evolve in the last few decades, how she conducts sideline interviews with athletes who may have either had the worst or best day of their careers, why empathy is not just showing up on a bad day, but encouraging and celebrating your team's best days, and why top athletes and performers crave clarity and feedback in order to get better. You'll get so many tips on how to deliver feedback, ask the right questions, and infuse joy and levity into your team for championship-level performance.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
We don’t need or want to be cruel in the name of candor. Candor and clarity are empathetic and can help everyone understand where they are at. Prepare ahead so that you can be with your team in the moment. Consider: how do you give somebody permission to talk about their win and an easy way to share in that celebration with everybody else?You can lead a high-performance team, while still leaving room for emotion, feelings, and disappointment when things don’t go well."We assume that everybody understands what winning and losing look like and they don't. When you are clear, now people can do their job to the highest level." — Jen Mueller
References Mentioned:
Welcome to Wrexham: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0D77Y5BMG
From Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
Jen Mueller: Producer, Broadcaster, Founder, Talk Sporty to Me
Jen Mueller is an Emmy award-winning producer and sports broadcaster based in Seattle. A 24-year sports broadcasting veteran, she currently serves as the Seattle Seahawks radio sideline reporter and is a member of the Seattle Mariners television broadcast team on ROOT SPORTS. She was honored for her work in the industry in 2022 as the recipient of the Keith Jackson Media Excellence Award presented by the Seattle Sports Commission.
In addition to her work on the sidelines, Jen is an established business communication expert and the founder of Talk Sporty to Me. She’s published three books that outline her approach to conversations and effective communication. She is also the executive producer, host and creator of “I Cook, You Measure” a cooking show on YouTube.
Connect with Jen:
Talk Sporty to Me: TalkSportytoMe.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jenmuellertalksporty
Instagram: instagram.com/talksportytome
Threads: threads.net/@talksportytome
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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No matter what side of the aisle you fall on - employee or leader - you may have uttered these words, "Why can't I just fix them?!" Building strong relationships either way is both an employee AND a leader responsibility because empathy must flow both ways.
Today, I talk with Molly McGrath. She reveals some biases that leaders can break free from to be more effective, how to merge the perspectives of boss and employees to better understand each other, and you'll love her actionable tips and examples on how you can initiate healthy communication, build trust, and create a more positive and high-performing environment with less drama and more impact. We also talk about the importance of re-dating and re-committing with your employees on a regular basis!
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
If we’re only hiring to the résumé, we are going to be missing out on a lot of the people skills that aren’t written down.Self-awareness and self-care are two of the key pillars of empathetic leadership. We have to get our own house in order to understand our blind spots, triggers, and strengths, and know what we're bringing into the conversation.The work of leading is spending time with your people. You need to understand how each of your team are hardwired."You have to re-date your employees and re-enroll (your employees) every single day." — Molly McGrath
Episode References:
Empathy Edge Podcast: Daina Middleton: How to do Layoffs with HUmanity, Inclusion, and CompassionFrom Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
About Molly McGrath:
Molly McGrath is the Founder and CEO of Hiring & Empowering Solutions and the author of Amazon's top #1 Best Seller: Fix My Boss: The Simple Plan to Cultivate Respect, Risk Courageous Conversations, and Increase the Bottom Line. She is also host of the Hire and Empower podcast.
Molly is a thought leader with 27 years of experience in the CEO space. Since the late nineties, She has coached, consulted, and directed presidents and founders of national organizations and over 4,500 law firms in executive-level leadership, continuous improvement, and team empowerment initiatives to infiltrate new markets, leverage partner ecosystems, and produce profitability.
Molly has 27 years of specific skill set experience in legal marketing, fractional CEO roles, conversation intelligence coaching, team development & empowerment, intrapreneur talent acquisition, Kaizen leadership, root cause analysis, revenue mapping, and action-based project management.
Connect with Molly:
Hiring & Empowering Solutions: hiringandempowering.com
X: x.com/HireAndEmpower
Instagram: instagram.com/hiringandempowering
Fix My Boss: The Simple Plan to Cultivate Respect, Risk Courageous Conversations, and Increase the Bottom Line: amazon.com/dp/1636801765
Hire and Empower With Molly McGrath podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1460184599
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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Transparency is a cornerstone of empathetic culture. And when it comes to the labor market, pay scales, and required skills, the more information you can get, the more confident you feel in making decisions- whether you're a hiring manager or a job seeker.
What do workers today want? What kind of benefits are the most appealing in competitive markets? How are others at this level getting compensated? Where is the best talent for our organization and what skills do they need?
Turns out data-based decision-making can actually be a very empathetic approach to being a more human-centered organization.
My guest is Cary Sparrow and we discuss what the data show workers today want (and it's not all about pay!), the barriers to connecting the right talent with career opportunities, and the mindset getting in the way of organizations competing effectively for top talent. Cary shares his own empathetic leadership model in how he set up his team to support employees with broader life needs and how that resulted in finding great talent, keeping them, and making the company successful. Cary also offers practical next steps to help leaders navigate change and embrace what the data show they need to do to succeed in today's labor market.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
What employees want has shifted significantly over the last few years, largely stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.Transparency around pay is now an expectation from job seekers, even if your state does not require it.You have to have data on the workers in your market. What workers need in NYC or LA, is likely going to be different than those in much smaller towns. People in untapped talent markets were able to participate in the workforce more during the pandemic when things were fully remote than ever before."Employees are much more interested in understanding what is available to them for benefits and working conditions, more than they have been in the past, compared to salaries." — Cary Sparrow
Episode References:
The Empathy Edge Podcast Episodes:Rhonda George-Denniston: Why Betting on Your People Leads to Market DominationJessica Swank: How Box Navigates the New World of WorkAnna Litotta: Understanding Generational CODESFrom Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
About Cary Sparrow, Founder & CEO, Wagescape
Cary Sparrow helps HR professionals and consulting firms to predict the future of pay. He is also a former US Navy officer who served on several nuclear submarines. 35+ years (combined) of engineering, military, consulting, technology, and operations leadership in achieving organizational growth makes him a guest of value to HR leaders and other decision-makers wanting to navigate the labor market, in today's rapidly growing access to remote work and digital promptness. Here's his one-sheet: https://legendarypodcasts.com/cary-sparrow/
Connect with Cary:
WageScape: wagescape.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carysparrow
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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What makes a perfect candidate or even company? You know the one where when you meet them or visit their offices, where you just know they're something special? Is there a blueprint for how to be such a unicorn?
Today, William Vanderbloemen shares the 12 teachable traits you can master to be a unicorn candidate or company leader and we deep dive into four specific ones: Authenticity, Self-Awareness, Curiosity, and Connection - what those look like in action, and the data shows that anyone can master these skills with practice and intention, even if you think you're not good at them. We discuss why these skills are anything but soft, and can actually catapult you to success. And William reveals the single biggest trait that helps you separate yourself from the crowd.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
Every one of the 12 habits of unicorns can be learned. While some may seem more innate than others or may show up differently for different people, they are something everyone can learn.In uncertain times, the people asking questions will be able to adapt quicker than those who are not.We live in the best time ever to work on self-awareness. You can work on your own stuff, on any level, and it is no longer considered quackery as it used to be."After studying 30,000 face-to-face interviews, we discovered that what really separates somebody from the crowd is how they treat other human beings." — William Vanderbloemen
Episode References:
The Empathy Edge podcast: April Hot Take: Why Empathy Starts with Self-AwarenessBook: Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest: amazon.com/Be-Unicorn-Data-Driven-Separate-Leaders/dp/1400247101More book info and resources: www.TheUnicornBook.comAssessment model: www.VanderIndex.comFrom Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
About William Vanderbloemen, Founder & CEO, Vanderbloemen Search Group
William Vanderbloemen has been leading the Vanderbloemen Search Group for 15 years, where they are regularly retained to identify the best talent for teams, manage succession planning, and consult on all issues regarding teams. This year, Vanderbloemen will complete their 3,000th executive search. Prior to founding Vanderbloemen Search Group, William studied executive search under a mentor with 25+ years of executive search at the highest level. His learning taught him the very best corporate practices, including the search strategies used by the internationally known firm Russell Reynolds. Prior to that, William served as a Senior Pastor at one of the largest Presbyterian Churches in the United States.
Connect with William:
Vanderbloemen Search Group: vanderbloemen.com
X: x.com/wvanderbloemen
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/williamvanderbloemen
Facebook: facebook.com/vanderbloemen
Instagram: instagram.com/wvanderbloemen
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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In this essential episode of "Courage to Advance," host Kim Bohr and global inclusion strategist Mason Donovan tackle a critical challenge facing today's leaders: maintaining organizational cohesion in an increasingly polarized world. Their timely conversation cuts through the noise to deliver practical wisdom on fostering productive workplaces where differences drive innovation rather than division.
Through real-world examples, Mason and Kim explore how thoughtful leadership can transform potential friction points into opportunities for organizational growth. Drawing from personal experience and extensive client work, they examine why some corporate inclusion initiatives soar while others stumble, offering senior leaders a strategic framework for making decisions that align with mission and market realities.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
Inclusion is for the entire organization, no matter if you are in the majority or the minority group. It is more than just policy, it is operating with a lens of inclusion in every aspect of the organization.Everybody has to own inclusion. While leaders may have a greater impact, they cannot be the only ones carrying the inclusion bucket.Politics in the US have put almost everything, every cultural decision, in either the red or the blue. Think about those connections, think about what may be said to others by those decisions, then make a decision. Hard, uncomfortable conversations will come up. Get ahead of them before they begin with policies and training."When you're a head of organization, everything that you do in public is a representative of that organization." — Mason Donovan
From Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
About Mason Donovan:
Founder/Consultant of The Dagoba Group
Mason was Managing Director of Client Solutions for Personified, a human capital consulting firm, before becoming a principal for The Dagoba Group, a New England-based consultancy that specializes in leadership development in inclusion and diversity. He has over 20 years consulting clients in the areas of talent acquisition, performance management, and leading inclusive teams. Mason holds a long list of sales achievement awards for direct sales and sales management. He believes diversity and inclusion is a marketplace differentiator. Co-author of The Inclusion Dividend and SET for Inclusion. Author of the Golden Apple.
Connect with Mason:
Website: thedagobagroup.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/masondonovan
Connect with Kim Bohr and SparkEffect
SparkEffect: sparkeffect.com
Courage to Advance recording and resources:
CourageToAdvancePodcast.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sparkeffect
LinkedIn for Kim Bohr: linkedin.com/in/kimbohr
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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Recently, we've heard a lot about resiliency, the ability to bounce back from challenge, and grit, that ability to grind away and never give up. But we've heard less about hardiness. It turns out hardiness enhances resilience, promotes personal and professional growth, and creates a more adaptive organizational culture.
Today, Dr. Steven Stein and I talk about hardiness and how it differs from both resilience and grit. He breaks down five key components of emotional intelligence and discusses how emotions impact our ability to make (or not make) good decisions. Dr. Stein offers the three C's of Hardiness and how to improve hardiness to create a more resilient, healthy, and adaptive culture that impacts your bottom line.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
The concept of hardiness breaks down into the 3 Cs: commitment, challenge, and control.If your goal is overly ridged or too narrow, it can become detrimental and paralyzing. Resilience and hardiness definitely overlap. Where the overlap is, we see continuous improvement and forward motion.When you balance emotionality with rationality, you can make better decisions, We call that wisdom."Hardiness means I can withstand the difficult situation and I can still deal with you (as a person), I can bring you along and make you stronger, and make the organization stronger." — Dr. Steven Stein
From Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
About Dr Steven Stein: Clinical psychologist, speaker, best-selling author of Emotional Intelligence for Dummies and Hardiness: Making Stress Work for You to Achieve Your Life Goals
Dr. Steven Stein is a world-renowned clinical psychologist, international best-selling author and sought-after speaker, and founder and Executive Chair of Multi-Health Systems (MHS), a publisher of scientifically validated assessments for over 40 years, which has been named a three-time winner of Profit 100 (fastest growing companies in Canada), one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies since 2013, and Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures (2016, Waterstone).
A leading expert on psychological assessment and emotional intelligence, he has consulted with military and government agencies, including the Canadian Forces, U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, special units of the Pentagon, FBI Academy, as well as corporate organizations, including American Express, Air Canada, Canyon Ranch, Coca-Cola (Mexico), and professional sports teams.
Dr. Stein consults with numerous reality TV shows, including Big Brother Canada, The Amazing Race Canada, MasterChef Canada, Bachelor Canada, Real Housewives of Toronto, Bachelor in Paradise, Blown Away, and many others, providing psychological expertise and candidate selection assessments.
Connect with Dr. Steven Stein
Multi-Health Systems (MHS): mhs.com
Personal Website: stevenstein.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drstevenstein
Book: Emotional Intelligence for Dummies
Book: Hardiness: Making Stress Work for You to Achieve Your Life Goals
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
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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 son to emulate. It’s not just about those leaders at the highest levels. We can be leaders even if we don't have the title. It’s about us, each of us, stepping up, being those role models, and showing that we can lead with both empathy and strength.
Let’s keep leading with empathy.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
The best leaders have the humility to recognize their flaws and understand that the best, most effective decisions come from inviting expert voices that aren’t their own so they can get a clearer picture of both risks and opportunities.Use the upcoming leadership of the US to teach your children what kind of leader not to be.Kindness, inclusion, and integrity are qualities worth pursuing—not just in others, but in ourselves."We can be leaders if we don't have the title but some people, even if promoted to the title, even if elected to the title, will never be true leaders.." — Maria Ross
From Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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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 helpful outcome.
But there's a way out of this cycle. And woo boy! I clicked instantly with today's guest and I know you will, too. Today, Justin shares a very personal story about his trip back to Ghana to confront his absent father and how he changed the conversation following his own 5 pillars to bridge the divide. We also discuss how to practice conversational receptiveness, and how to avoid the dotted line dilemma and the illusion of asymmetric insights which both hinder meaningful engagements with those we don't see eye-to-eye with. Justin also unpacks actionable ways to have better conversations and cultivate curiosity through the Power of 3 Questioning module.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
Plant the seeds with your kids of how to value humanity from a young age. Take them to places and events that will help them see more of the world and humanity.Be transparent when you are working on your leadership and changing conversations. Bring your team in, make it fun and light, and have one meaningful conversation per week.Just because it feels uncomfortable to learn about others and practice The Power of 3 Questioning. It doesn’t mean it isn’t working and strengthening your listening muscles."People are talking about things that are important to them. The question is, are we really listening?" — Justin Jones-Fosu
Episode References:
Justin's book: I Respectfully Disagree: How to Have Difficult Conversations in A Divided WorldThe Empathy Edge podcast: Michael Bach: What Exclusion is Costing Your CompanyBook: Dialogue: The Art of Thinking Together by William IsaacsFrom Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
About Justin Jones-Fosu, CEO, Work.Meaningful and Author, I Respectfully Disagree
Justin is a full-time dad-e who also happens to be an international speaker, a social entrepreneur, a critically acclaimed author, and a mountain climber (he recently conquered one of the famed 7 Summits). His passion for elevation extends beyond trekking, it’s mirrored in his work as the CEO of Work. Meaningful, a firm he founded in 2017 focused on workplace engagement and inclusion. He consults with, speaks to, and trains 10,000 to 20,000 people per year. He is a former radio host and former workplace contributor to NPR’s The Takeaway Justin's most recent book, I Respectfully Disagree, challenges the reader to focus on building bridges with people rather than barriers from them. He also wrote The Inclusive Mindset and Your Why Matters Now.
Connect with Justin Jones-Fosu:
Work.Meaningful: workmeaningful.com
X: x.com/iworkmeaningful
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/iworkmeaningful
Instagram: instagram.com/iworkmeaningful
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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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 and bias show up for executives and impact their decision-making. They share the rewards of being an empathetic leader, the best way to bring a leader on board to an empathy mindset, how to practice empathy when your large team is remote, and why simply being a "nice boss" without accountability can be super toxic.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
Reactive leaders harm their organizations. Empathetic leaders advance organizations and the lives of those in the organizations.There’s a difference between being a nice boss and being an empathetic leader. Being “the nice boss” is actually one of the most toxic things in an organization, and that is not empathetic.Build in time for team building in remote environments. If you choose the right activities, you can create those connections."The way that I have found the most effective has been leading by example because pushing someone into a vulnerable space is the quickest way to be met with resistance." — Neal Frick
References:
The Empathy Edge podcast: Teri Schmidt: Empathy-Infused Team Building for Lasting ImpactFrom Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
About Tina & Neal:
Tina Kuhn is an accomplished CEO spanning cybersecurity, commercial, and US government.
She has extensive experience in organizational transformations, growth strategies and implementation, M&A due diligence and integration, financial improvements, process and risk management, operations management, business development, and proposal development.
Ms. Kuhn has served in a variety of executive leadership roles, including the President of Proximas Group, focused on integrating 6 companies and developing a growth strategy to take advantage of each company’s strengths.
Neal Frick is the CEO of Avandra Consulting and most recently served as CEO of CyberCore Technologies, which was sold to HP. He's an author with more than twenty years of experience in organizational growth and leadership and has led successful initiatives around transformational change, strategic planning, and revenue, working with companies such as Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Lockheed Martin. His experiences have fueled his commitment to cultivating inclusive work cultures, where diversity and empathy are not just buzzwords but integral components of business ethos.
Connect with Tina & Neal:
The Lanzar Group: thelanzargroup.com
Tina's LinkedIn: Tina Kuhn
Neal's LinkedIn: Neal Frick
Medium Profile: medium.com/@TinaKuhn
Book: The E Suite: Empathetic Leadership for the Next Generation of Executives
tinakuhncommunication.com - The Manager's Communication ToolKit - Dealing with Difficult Personalities
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
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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 three principles of the Theory of Enchantment and how they apply to your workplace. We talk about the first step you can take to express gratitude for both your strengths and weaknesses and how this opens you up to better interactions and more understanding. We discuss what love at work looks like, why it's not the same as romantic love, and how it creates a healthier, higher performing, and inclusive workplace. Chloé shares what prejudice actually means and how we can combat it to create better customer experiences and inclusive workplace cultures. Finally, we debunk the myth of the know-it-all leader or expert and why constant curiosity opens you up to more learning and better results.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
We are not conditioned to share our struggles and weaknesses in the workplace. Breaking that paradigm and bringing our whole selves to work will allow all of us to grow and love.Ethically speaking, the word compassion means “with suffering.” You will experience suffering in life, but we want to enter the world in a way that doesn’t harm us as we move through it.We cannot live life with no regrets. But we can have gratitude for the experiences we have had and the lessons we’ve learned.We change over time. Do the Who Am I practice every three days or so, so you can begin to recognize your patterns and your habits of mind.""If we can remind people that they matter in every interaction that we engage in, whether it's in the business context or not, that makes an impression. That is the kind of transcendent experience that speaks to what I mean by the word ‘enchantment’." — Chloé Valdary
Episode References:
The DOJO community: enchanteddojo.comThe Tuning Fork community: enchantedtune.comThe Empathy Edge: Kristine Scott: How to Resolve Conflict with Angry Customers or ColleaguesFrom Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
About Chloé Valdary, Founder, Theory of Enchantment
Chloé Valdary is the founder of the Theory of Enchantment, a New York-based DEI organization that fights against racism and bigotry by teaching love. Theory of Enchantment has trained businesses and orgs across many industries, including tech companies, hospitals, schools, and more. If you’re interested in bringing Theory of Enchantment to your business, contact the org at [email protected]. If you are an individual seeking daily practice, check out enchanteddojo.com.
Connect with Chloé:
Theory of Enchantment: theoryofenchantment.com
X: x.com/cvaldary
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chloe-valdary-92426565
Facebook: facebook.com/theoryofenchantment
Instagram: instagram.com/cvaldary
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
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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 metrics and uncover common blindspots in CEO assessments. We'll discuss the limitations of relying solely on KPIs and how to integrate both quantitative and qualitative measures to evaluate not just what a CEO achieves but how they lead. We'll examine how robust CEO evaluations impact critical board responsibilities like compensation and succession planning. The conversation will also touch on incorporating empathy and emotional intelligence into assessments. Finally, we'll reveal how well-designed evaluations can drive alignment between the board and CEO, fostering a culture of trust and continuous improvement. Join us as we uncover how to truly assess leadership effectiveness and drive organizational success through comprehensive CEO evaluations.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
Having a relationship and building trust with some board members can create a safe space for the CEO, which can often be lonely. Soft skills are the essential skills. It doesn’t matter what your organization does, these are vital skills in understanding the inputs and outputs to create success within any organization. Data only matters if you can translate and interpret it into something useful and actionable.While hitting the “whats” is important, the “hows” of getting to those “whats” are equally as important."When we talk about sustainable organizations, and the ability for organizations to grow, just hitting the numbers isn't going to guarantee success. It's important, but it isn't the whole story." — Sandy Stelling, VP of Strategy, Analytics, and Transformation, Alaska Airlines
From Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
About Sandy Stelling, VP of Strategy, Analytics, and Transformation, Alaska Airlines
Sandy most recently served as the Vice President of Strategy, Analytics, and Transformation at Alaska Airlines. A Pacific Northwest aviation leader for over 30 years, she drives change using her experience in engineering, technology, team dynamics, and process performance. She has been recognized for her collaborative, always curious, direct leadership style. Sandy believes deeply in building capability and creating capacity with individuals and teams. Her track record of building trust and coaching teams, leading through challenges and crises, and delivering financial results bring valuable perspectives to the boardroom. Sandy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University. She currently holds leadership roles on several non-profit boards.
Connect with Sandy Stelling:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sandy-stelling-1984501
Connect with Kim Bohr and SparkEffect
SparkEffect: sparkeffect.com
Courage to Advance recording and resources:
CourageToAdvancePodcast.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sparkeffect
LinkedIn for Kim Bohr: linkedin.com/in/kimbohr
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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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 found success in education and the corporate world. Today, we bond over our brain injury stories and discuss the definition of disability, how stigma impairs human performance, and how you may be hindering innovation and productivity. We also discuss why accommodation is not special treatment and why many fail to realize we all expect accommodations daily. Julie shares practical advice for what leaders can do to unleash the potential of disabled workers and achieve their business goals.
To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
Not everybody’s disability looks the same or requires the same things, even if they are in the same category of disability.Disable and unable are not the same thing. The term disability is an accurate and correct description because it's something externally acting upon your body to make it not able.When the brain is under stress, we are only concerned with survival, which impairs your employee’s ability to do the work, impacting the bottom line."We accommodate people all the time at work and in everyday life, yet when it comes to disability, it had to be a legal right granted because those accommodations were so frequently denied. Just because one person needs a different thing doesn't mean it's preferential treatment. We're giving them exactly what they need to do their job." — Julie Harris
References:
The Empathy Edge podcasts:Michael Bach: What Exclusion is Costing Your CompanyMinette Norman: Psychological SafetyDisclo: disclo.comFrom Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
About Julie Harris, CEO/Founder, Access My Ability. Author of Boldly Belong:
After experiencing complete memory loss due to a brain injury, Julie quickly defied doctors’ expectations as she found success in secondary education and the corporate world. Drawing from personal study and formal education in neuroscience, process improvement, and disability inclusion, she consults with individuals and organizations around the globe. Despite having less than 16 years’ worth of memory and knowledge, Julie is now CEO and Founder of Access My Ability and author of Boldly Belong: The Power of Being You in a Disabling Society. Her expertise has been sought after by numerous Fortune 500 companies, where she has delivered compelling speeches and invaluable consultation on disability inclusion, workplace rights, and reasonable accommodation process improvement. Julie’s goal is to demonstrate that success can be achieved through unconventional paths that defy rules and expectations.
Connect with Julie:
Access My Ability: accessmyability.org
LinkedIn: Julie Harris
Book: Boldly Belong: The Power of Being You in a Disabling Society
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
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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 on how to build resilience in today's rapidly changing landscape, and how integrating innovative technology, data-driven insights, and the human touch is the winning recipe for success in our times.
We kick off our partnership where SparkEffect will be offering you monthly insights, actionable takeaways, and inspiring stories of leadership transformation and the role empathy plays in success.
Tune in every 3rd Thursday, right here on The Empathy Edge!
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
AI is not going away - the more we lean in and understand, the more we can leverage it for ourselves, our clients, and our organizations.Leveraging AI in your creative endeavors is great to bounce ideas off of, especially for those who work solo.All change involves bringing people along with you. The human need for information, reassurance, connection, and upskilling never disappears. Only the challenge in front of us changes."We believe that AI and data-driven insights are about augmenting and elevating that people-centered approach. And that's why we find the data, along with the very skill-based empathetic approach, is where the superpower is unleashed for leaders and organizations." — Kim Bohr
From Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
About Kim Bohr, President & COO, SparkEffect
Kim is a published author, speaker, and entrepreneur at heart. As the President and COO of SparkEffect, she brings over 25 years of experience as a cross-functional leader, executive and board advisor, and leadership and organization development professional.
Kim has spent her career avidly studying and participating in companies with complex people and organizational dynamics. Making an impact on businesses is important to Kim. She stays inspired by the gratification that comes from unraveling challenging problems for individuals and companies. Her strong, strategic instincts, extensive experience, and the ability to create followership have shaped Kim into the leader she is today.
Connect with Kim Bohr and SparkEffect
SparkEffect: sparkeffect.com
Courage to Advance recording and resources:
sparkeffect.com/courage-to-advance-podcast
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sparkeffect
LinkedIn for Kim Bohr: linkedin.com/in/kimbohr
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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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 scared?
Today, I discuss how fear is detrimental for your team and how elevated perceived stress levels cause poor cognition. I also talk about why embracing empathy and building strong connections with your team while still maintaining high accountability and performance expectations will allow your team to rise to the challenge. Listen in for some scary statistics, but also the light around the dark corner that waits for those of us who are willing to take the next steps.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
Studies show that perceived stress can cause lower cognitive scores and a faster rate of cognitive decline.Be vulnerable in your journey to be a more empathetic leader - while still expecting high performance and holding people accountable - people will rise to the challenge.Examine your own emotional triggers and backstory. Be willing to interrogate yourself with a curious mind. Scaring your people won’t help, so stop trying to do so and understand why you were trying to in the first place."Most scary or ineffective leaders have no self-awareness about how poorly they come across and how much psychological torture they influence. And that's because their negative behavior is almost always a result of their own fears." — Maria Ross
Episode References:
CNN: Stress May Lead to Lower Cognitive Function, Study FindsMore on Arno MichaelisBuy the book and download a free chapter sneak peek: http://www.TheEmpathyDilemma.comFrom Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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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. We also share simple yet impactful tips on how to be an ally.
To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
Accepting and loving your child no matter how they present is support and protection for your child.Fiction is an amazing tool for empathy. It allows you to explore with your imagination experiences outside of your own.As allies, we need to step up, use the right language, and let people know that they are safe.Everyone is watching the world for signals to understand they are safe."Dignity is at stake. LGBTQ rights are at stake. Right now, while my daughter has access to these things, a vote could take some of these necessities. They're not privileges, they're necessities" — Kate Brookes
References:
Hanna's Ascent by Jayna SheatsTransister: Raising Twins in a Gender-Bending World by Kate BrookesThe Savvy Ally: A Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGPTQ+ Advocate by Jeannie Gainsburg2016 Study on Mental Health of Transgender Children Who are Supported in their IdentitiesGFP: Gender and Family ProjectSissy: A Coming of Gender Story by Jacob TobiaCori Lovejoy: A Trans Woman’s Journey Transforming Self and Organizational CultureJeannie Gainsburg: How to Be a Savvy LGBTQ+ AllyFrom Our Partner:
SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.
Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.
Kate Brookes: Producer, Filmmaker, Writer. Kate Brookes is an award-winning TV reporter turned producer, filmmaker, and writer. An activist since her teens, Kate has devoted countless hours to the causes she supports, including mental health, housing justice, and anti-gun legislation. But it wasn’t until realizing she’d completely botched the birth announcement for her twins that she became active in LGBTQ causes. The author of Transister: Raising Twins in a Gender-Bending World, Kate lives with her husband and rock star children, one of whom happens to be trans, in New York City.
Jeannie Gainsburg, Founder, Savvy Ally Action: Jeannie is an educational trainer and consultant in LGBTQ+ inclusion and effective allyship, and author of, The Savvy Ally: A Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ Advocate. She is the founder of Savvy Ally Action, which offers accessible and encouraging workshops and videos on how to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ communities.
Jayna Sheats, Author: Jayna grew up on an isolated Colorado ranch in the 1950s, where the word “transgender” had never once been heard. Returning to CO after studying language and psychology in Germany, she majored in physical science and settled in Silicon Valley with a PhD in chemistry. Jayna is the author of, Hanna's Ascent. She spends her time writing novels about triumph over trauma and social justice, and a non-fiction book on transgender women in athletics.
Connect with Our Guests:
Kate Brookes: transistermom.com
Jeannie Gainsburg: savvyallyaction.com
Jayna Sheats: jaynasheats.com
X: @transistermom
LinkedIn: Jeannie Gainsburg
Facebook: Jayna Sheats, Author
Connect with Maria:
Learn more about Maria's work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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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 engagement, retention, and performance. Tracy shatters the myths of happiness as a constant state. While we can't "make people happy" we can create the conditions for happiness. She shares the five measurable conditions for happiness and we discuss the Paradox of Happiness, the benefits of post-traumatic growth, the current loneliness epidemic and the role workplace cultures can play, and the two important components of what it means to thrive. Tracy offers ways you can create connections as a leader - and you'll love the conversation near the end about how leaders don't have to take on all the responsibility for this in their culture by themselves!
To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
Tracy’s Big Five conditions for happiness are: Having a sense of purpose, Connection with other people, Opportunity for learning, growth and challenge, Performing really well, and Gratitude.Sometimes you will have to do work you don’t want to do. Your work won’t always be fulfilling. But that doesn’t mean your career or workplace cannot be nurturing, engaging, and fulfilling despite that work.Thriving always includes an element of striving. There are positive challenges, and positive growth that come out of difficult situations."It's actually counterproductive to measure happiness by itself, and the more we think about happiness as its own end, the less likely we are to accomplish it, statistically." — Dr. Tracy Brower
Episode References:
The Empathy Edge episodesLogan Mallory: How a Culture of Gratitude Boosts Engagement and Mental HealthJamie Greenwood: Why Empathy for Others Starts with Compassion for YourselfShasta Nelson: Why Successful Leaders Encourage Work FriendshipsFrom Our Partner:
Download the 2024 Ninth Annual State of Workplace Empathy study from Businessolver: www.businessolver.com/edge
Discover more valuable content from Businessolver on The Benefits Pulse vodcast: www.businessolver.com/benefits-pulse
About Dr. Tracy Brower, VP Workplace Insights, Steelcase
Dr. Tracy Brower is a PhD sociologist studying work-life fulfillment and happiness. She is the author of The Secrets to Happiness at Work and Bring Work to Life. She is the vice president of workplace insights with Steelcase and a senior contributor to Forbes and Fast Company. Her work has been translated into 22 languages, and you can find her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, or at tracybrower.com
Connect with Tracy Brower:
Steelcase: www.Steelcase.com
Website: https://tracybrower.com/
X: https://twitter.com/TracyBrower108
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracybrowerphd/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tlb108/
Book: The Secrets To Happiness at Work
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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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, A Gameplan for Putting Empathy into Action, Rae Shanahan and I focus on why empathy is hard to achieve when everyone thinks it's a good idea. We give examples of empathetic leadership - and behaviors that are the opposite of empathy. We dive into a study theme of accountability and the false belief that empathy and accountability are opposites. Rae shares what empathetic culture does for your organization, and gives examples of what employees deem to be empathetic company benefits. Finally, we revisit the three pillars Businesssolver discovered in their research and how to take action on each one.
To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
Everything starts with awareness. We have a chance to impact the culture by focusing on the leaders.Understanding doesn’t mean endorsement. Empathy doesn't mean you agree or condone behavior or the decision. It means you are there for someone and factor in their point of view.It takes time to build up trust, especially in an environment where it hasn't been there before."We are not a one-size-fits-all organization. Employees have different needs and different definitions of benefits depending on where they are in their life cycle." — Rae Shanahan
Episode References:
Empathy Authenticity ChecklistThe Empathy DilemmaBrené Brown Short on EmpathyQBQ! The Question Behind the Question by John G. MillerJelly Roll - I Am Not OkayFrom Our Partner:
Download the 2024 Ninth Annual State of Workplace Empathy study from Businessolver: www.businessolver.com/edge
Discover more valuable content from Businessolver on The Benefits Pulse vodcast: www.businessolver.com/benefits-pulse
About Rae Shanahan, Chief Strategy Officer, Businessolver
Rae Shanahan is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Known for her strong business development skills in coaching, sales, team building, and healthcare information technology and management, Rae brings a unique blend of strategic insight and empathetic leadership to the table. Her empathetic approach has been instrumental in nurturing the growth of Businessolver from 12 employees to over 1,700. Rae understands the importance of empathy in fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment, ensuring culture is always first. This perspective has guided her efforts as the current Chief Strategy Officer at Businessolver and her previous role as CEO of Innovation Works, where she supported the incubation of new business strategies and opportunities. Her initiatives, including the launch of Businessolver's Artificial Intelligence Engine, MyChoice Accounts and the Benefits Innovation Group, are all centered on delivering delight to clients and their employees, ensuring that everyone feels valued and heard.
Connect with Businessolver & Rae Shanahan:
Website: businessolver.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/raeshanahan
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/businessolver
X: @Businessolver
Instagram: @Businessolver
Facebook: facebook.com/bsolver
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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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 percentage of loyalty, motivation, and desire to pursue management positions. They should definitely be considered when looking at your talent pipeline.
My guest today is Michelle Hoover. We talk about who FGPs are and why investing in them is a win for your company. Michelle shares a little about what makes them tick (especially given her own identity as an FGP) and why understanding this will help you practice empathy if you misunderstand certain behaviors. We discuss the difference between experience and identity, what holds FGPs back, how to practice conscious curiosity, and, specifically, what you can do to harness their potential to help your organization succeed. You will leave appreciating the power of acknowledging diverse groups in your organization through mentoring and ERGs, instead of seeing such diversity as a burden.
To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
Confronting your fears is a great way to grow, evolve, transform, and gain confidence.Especially with first-generation professionals, their background, family, and upbringing influence them in the business world. That's something important we need to recognize in terms of being empathetic in the workplace.81% of first-generation college students cite financial stability as their reason for pursuing a college degree. They are motivated to achieve some level of financial success and stability.Many FGPs don’t know how to play the corporate games for promotion, they were never taught. Without empathy to see their side, leaders may see it as a lack of drive, proactivity, and initiative when that is far from the truth."This is your leadership pipeline, and this helps with more early career retention strategies." — Michelle Hoover
From Our Partner:
Download the 2024 Ninth Annual State of Workplace Empathy study from Businessolver: www.businessolver.com/edge
Discover more valuable content from Businessolver on The Benefits Pulse vodcast: www.businessolver.com/benefits-pulse
About Michelle Hoover, Principal, Baem Leadership
Michelle Hoover is a leadership development strategist, advisor, and executive coach. A trusted thought partner to CEOs and business leaders, she has designed, delivered, and facilitated talent-development programs for more than 15,000 learners across five continents in her 19 years in leadership development.
Michelle is the founder of Baem Leadership, a strategic consultancy that advises global corporations, mid-stage startups, and purpose-driven organizations on empowering and emboldening their leaders — especially First-Generation Professionals — to lead themselves and their teams more effectively.
Connect with Michelle Hoover:
Baem Leadership: https://www.baemleadership.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myhoover/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baemleadership/
Newsletter: https://baemleadership.substack.com/
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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“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 podcast and during this journey. Listen in to find out how you can get your hands on the book, whether one copy or hundreds of copies, and to find out more about how we can all get this book into the hands of a wider audience and spread the hopeful message of empathy to leaders everywhere. I hope you enjoy the book. I hope it is valuable for you and your team. I hope you implement some of the tactics and let me know how it goes! I’d love to hear from you.
To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com
Key Takeaways:
Once you embrace empathy and see another person's point of view, you can't unsee it.If your favorite bookstore does not have The Empathy Dilemma, you can ask them to order it! It is widely available now everywhere books are sold. To spark a movement of empathy in the workplace and a new paradigm for culture and work, please rate and review the book on Amazon and give an honest review, whether you thought it was just okay or you thought it was amazing - it will help spread the empathy movement further."This book is for those leaders who want to embrace the new paradigm of leadership, but are struggling a little bit. I wanted to provide you some context, but also actionable strategies and tactics to shore up your foundation so that you can be empathetic with your teams while still expecting high performance, accountability, and results." — Maria Ross
From Our Partner:
Download the 2024 Ninth Annual State of Workplace Empathy study from Businessolver: www.businessolver.com/edge
Discover more valuable content from Businessolver on The Benefits Pulse vodcast: www.businessolver.com/benefits-pulse
Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Achieve radical success putting empathy into action with Businessolver. Techlology with heart, powered by people. https://www.businessolver.com/edge
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