Can practicing deep empathy actually make your organization more agile during a massive restructuring? Return on Empathy host Rebecca Dhrimaj sits down with Maggie Brady, VP of HR and Talent at White Cap. Drawing from their shared backgrounds as former college competitive swimmers and Maggie’s 20-year corporate trajectory from Arthur Anderson to GE, they unpack why empathy shouldn't be sidelined as a corporate "soft skill" - it is fundamentally just being human. Maggie pulls back the curtain on leading an 11,000-associate organization through complex organizational design transformations by replacing boilerplate strategies with human-centered communication. Tune in to discover how staying grounded in childlike curiosity can help leaders see around corners, anticipate resistance, and drive exceptional business outcomes.

Sound Bites

"Empathy is part of being human."

"Modeling empathy starts at the top."

"Empathy and accountability can coexist."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Shared Background

01:27 The Role of Empathy in Leadership

03:14 Career Journey and the Discovery of Empathy

06:50 Transitioning from Consulting to In-House HR

09:58 Building Relationships in HR

10:59 Embedding Empathy in a Complex Organization

16:20 Navigating Organizational Change

20:07 Equipping Leaders for Effective Communication

23:20 The Importance of Positive Influencers

24:38 Passing the Empathy Torch

30:08 Balancing Empathy and Accountability

Guest links:

Maggie’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiebrady1/

Learn more about White Cap:

https://about.whitecap.com/

Join us at The Empathy Collective launch event on July 15th @ 12 PM EST. Register here:

https://the-empathy-collective.mn.co/plans/1980279?bundle_token=a97b9813830266b53b0e284f3ebac15b&utm_source=manual

Join the membership waitlist for The Empathy Collective community (our doors open July 29th) and reference the promo code ROEPOD104 for a 10% discount on the form: https://www.theempathycollective.com/contact-us