How can you challenge yourself as a leader to embrace empathy and think bigger, not just about success, but about significance?

Joining me today is Mark Mears, a visionary business leader, best-selling author, keynote speaker, consultant, and visionary business leader. He has a significant track record of building stakeholder value, driving innovation, and profitable growth among world-class, high-profile brands such as PepsiCo/Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Frito-Lay, JCPenney, NBCUniversal, and The Cheesecake Factory. He is currently the founder and Chief Growth Officer for LEAF Growth Ventures, LLC, where he inspires leaders and organizations to grow with purpose.

Mark shares insights from his powerful new book, The Purposeful Growth Revolution: 4 Ways to Grow from Leader to Legacy Builder. We’ll dive into how empathy fuels meaningful growth, not only in business outcomes but people, teams, and culture. Mark believes that when leaders operate with purpose and put people first, they don’t just build companies—they build legacies. He shares why “culture” is not the right word, how to stop managing to the org chart, the four brands you need to consider within your organization, how to build your legacy starting today,  and how to think about inner diversity as much as organizational diversity. He also shares powerful stories from his past Fortune 500 mentors that you will love.

To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode at TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• True success comes from building communities where people belong, not just cultures where they merely exist.
• Leadership is a role to be earned daily through empathy and self-awareness, not just a title like “boss.”
• Empathy fuels performance, proving that compassion and results go hand-in-hand.
• Recognition and fulfillment drive engagement, motivation, and lasting impact in organizations.
• Purpose must be lived through four interconnected brands: personal, internal, external, and employer.

“I never let anyone call me a boss. I said, if you want to refer to me as your leader, that’s a title I have to earn every day by how I show up.” —  Mark Mears

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 Mark Mears, Founder & Chief Growth Officer, LEAF Growth Ventures: Mark A. Mears is a #1 best-selling author, keynote speaker, consultant, and visionary business leader. He has a significant track record of building stakeholder value—driving innovation and profitable growth among world-class, high-profile brands such as PepsiCo/Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Frito-Lay, JCPenney, NBCUniversal, and The Cheesecake Factory.

Today, Mark serves as Founder and Chief Growth Officer for LEAF Growth Ventures, LLC—a consulting firm inspiring individuals, teams, and organizations to find purpose in fulfilling their true growth potential while making a positive, lasting difference in the world.

Connect with Mark Mears:

Website: LEAF Growth Ventures LLC - https://www.MarkAMears.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markamears/ 

Book: The Purposeful Growth Revolution: https://www.amazon.com/Purposeful-Growth-Revolution-Leader-Builder/dp/1636182135

Free Purposeful Growth Self-Assessment: https://www.MarkAMears.com

Connect with Maria:

Get Maria's books on empathy: Red-Slice.com/books

Learn more about Maria's work: Red-Slice.com

Hire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross

Take the LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Facebook: Red Slice

Threads: @redslicemaria

Get your copy of The Empathy Dilemma here- www.theempathydilemma.com

Keynote Speakers and Conference Trainers: Get your free Talkadot trial and enjoy this game changer for your speaking business! www.share.talkadot.com/mariaross