The Empathy Edge

We are experiencing a transformation, an evolution in how we lead and what makes a successful leader. Today, I had a great conversation with Alain Hunkins, CEO and author of Cracking The Leadership Code: Three Secrets to Building Strong Leaders about the common leadership assumptions that can get people into trouble, the obstacles we face in how to connect, the three secrets of strong leaders, and how we can communicate better. He shares the story of how one leader went from being ranked at the bottom to achieving outstanding results by focusing on people first before the numbers and the work.

Alain and I discuss what gets in the way of empathy, the role transparency plays in killing the old leadership paradigm, how employees got to the point that they have such low confidence in their leaders - and what we can do to reverse that - and he'll also share a great trick to ensure you are communicating effectively. 

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• Studies show we judge ourselves by our intentions, but others by their actions. 
• The old model of command and control leadership is a dying paradigm. Leadership must evolve - all leaders are now living in a glass house with the technology available. We no longer live in a world of information asymmetry. 
• Numbers are neat and tidy, people are not. To lead people, you have to make the time to connect with your team empathetically not just look at the business numbers.
• Ask for a receipt in your communication. It doesn’t take much time, but it does increase understanding and clarity.

"All leadership development is personal development, and all personal development is leadership development. Whether or not you have the job title, we all lead every single day." —  Alain Hunkins

Brand Story Breakthrough course to help you craft a clear, compelling brand story  - includes weekly office hours with Maria!

About Alain Hunkins, CEO and Author, Cracking the Leadership Code

Alain Hunkins helps leaders, teams, and companies achieve performance goals easier.     

Over his twenty-five-year career, Alain has worked with over 3,000 groups of leaders in 27 countries, including 42 of the Fortune 100 companies. In addition to being an executive coach, leadership and team development facilitator and keynote speaker, Alain is the author of the book Cracking The Leadership Code: Three Secrets to Building Strong Leaders.

Alain is a faculty member of Duke Corporate Education and serves on the Academic Board of Advisors for the New Delhi Institute of Management. Alain’s work has been featured in Chief Executive, Fast Company, Inc., Training Magazine, Chief Learning Officer, and Business Insider. He’s also a monthly leadership strategy contributor to Forbes Magazine.  Alain was recently named #33 on the Global Power list of the Top 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership for 2023 by LeadersHum.  A father of two teenagers, he lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Connect with Alain Hunkins

Hunkins Leadership Group: https://alainhunkins.com/ 

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

Join the 30-Day Leadership Challenge! https://alainhunkins.com/30-day-leadership-challenge/ 

Join the tribe, download your free guide! Discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

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

Check out this offer from our sponsor, Better Benefits USA: Are You Overpaying for Employee Benefits Without Knowing It? Take the free 10-minute benefits audit at https://findbetterbenefits.org/

Download "The Human Middle" Your free guide to resolving workplace conflict from JLG Lawyers- https://thehumanmiddle.ai/

Empathy is a superpower, yes, but what about those people you just truly believe are unbearable to work or talk with? I know someone is coming to mind for you. And how much more complicated does it get when you work for that someone, or they work for you?

Today, I am delighted to share my conversation with leadership coach, speaker, and best-selling author Michael Bungay Stanier. Michael and I talked about the difference between leadership and coaching and the role empathy and curiosity play in those skills, why so many leaders misunderstand what coaching means, why rescuers create victims and the importance of learning how to listen. He shares the key to having Keystone Conversations to create a better working relationship. And he shares five questions that will help you build the best possible relationship with almost anyone - and why he says "almost!" Plus, we had a love fest for our mutual publisher, Page Two. Michael is a legend and as kind and generous as they come. Take a listen.

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• There are six different leadership styles, and the greatest leaders know how to utilize each of them at the appropriate times. 
• If you're a leader, your job is to help figure out what the right stuff is to work on, and then help get the best people to do their best work working on the stuff that matters.
• Rescuer behavior appears to be empathetic and kind, but it’s actually being nosy and it hurts more than it help others in adult-to-adult relationships. 
• You are doing the work of leading when you’re doing the work of self-care and self-reflection.

"I do believe…that every working relationship can be better. If you could make all of them 10-15% better, that would make a difference, because not just your success at work, but your happiness at work is dependent on the quality of your working relationships." —  Michael Bungay Stanier

Episode References: 

• The Empathy Edge podcast: Shasta Nelson: Why Successful Leaders Encourage Work Friendships
• Accountability and Empathy (Are Not Mutually Exclusive) by Ed Batista
• Page Two Publishing

Brand Story Breakthrough course to help you craft a clear, compelling brand story  - includes weekly office hours with Maria!

About Michael Bungay Stanier:

Michael Bungay Stanier is best known for The Coaching Habit, the best-selling coaching book of the century and recognized as a classic. His most recent book, How to Work with (Almost) Anyone, shows how to build the Best Possible Relationship with the key people at work. Michael was a Rhodes Scholar, and was recently awarded the coaching prize by Thinkers50, “the Oscars of Management.”

Connect with Michael Bungay Stanier:  

MBS.works: https://www.mbs.works/ 

X: https://www.twitter.com/mbs_works 

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mbs_works-113849977032317 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbs_works 

Book: How to Work with (Almost) Anyone: Five Questions for Building the Best Possible Relationships

Check out a FREE Video example of Michael’s Keystone Conversation at: https://bestpossiblerelationship.com/ 

Join the tribe, download your free guide! Discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

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

Check out this offer from our sponsor, Better Benefits USA: Are You Overpaying for Employee Benefits Without Knowing It? Take the free 10-minute benefits audit at https://findbetterbenefits.org/

Download "The Human Middle" Your free guide to resolving workplace conflict from JLG Lawyers- https://thehumanmiddle.ai/

Resilience might be eligible for word of the year. You hear it everywhere you go. We talked a lot about resilience during the Pandemic. How do we bounce back and adapt?

One definition of resilience is “The capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.”

Clearly, we need to embrace resilience as human beings. In a chaotic, unpredictable world where the only constant is change, you might drive yourself mad if you cannot adapt.

But more importantly, how is the skill of resilience strengthened, taught, or learned?

Today I share two examples from my childhood on how I learned resilience that I hope will not only enlighten you, but entertain you. (HINT: One involves my theater geek high school days!)

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• Practice having a growth mindset - it is not about being externally praised, it is about your innate desire to practice and improve and look at what can be tweaked to change the outcome on your next attempt. 
• Learn from those losses in your life. You can process the grief of losing but still embrace the opportunities in front of you. 
• Try anyway! Even if you don’t have all of the boxes checked for whatever you’re aiming to do, try anyway, you may surprise yourself with what you do accomplish. 

I learned from moments like that to process my grief over what I'd lost, but embrace what was in front of me - and make it my own. —  Maria Ross

Episode References: 

• Dinah Manoff from Grease: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001503/ 
• Growth Mindset: https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means
• #Hypewomen: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hype-women/id1704488532
• Greater Good, Five Science-Backed Strategies to Build Resilience: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_science_backed_strategies_to_build_resilience 

Brand Story Breakthrough course to help you craft a clear, compelling brand story  - includes weekly office hours with Maria!

Join the tribe, download your free guide! Discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

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

Check out this offer from our sponsor, Better Benefits USA: Are You Overpaying for Employee Benefits Without Knowing It? Take the free 10-minute benefits audit at https://findbetterbenefits.org/

Can allyship be fun? Or do you envision every inclusion or diversity training as a slog? It doesn't have to be so heavy-handed!

Today, Jeannie Gainsburg shares why, as a cisgender woman, she became a strong ally. We tackle how to get over the heaviness and blame of allyship and focus on having conversations with an open heart. We discuss pronouns and why sharing your pronouns (even if they seem obvious) is a great ally action. She also offers the best ways to gather pronouns from others without making it awkward. We talked about what being out and authentic at work looks like. Finally, Jeannie shares a few concrete tips and policies for creating a more LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace.

Her encouraging, passionate, and warm-hearted approach will surely jumpstart even the most tentative ally.

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• There are many causes to fight for - just pick one and start going. Fighting for rights for one, is fighting for rights for all.
• People want to learn, so encouragement, not judgment, is critical.
• We all use pronouns all day, every day. It doesn’t only affect those who are transgender. 

"Being an ally is an ongoing journey of messing up. We need to get comfortable with and understand that. Don’t let the fear of messing up or not knowing the right word stop you from having conversations, and know how to apologize. Just have the conversations with an open heart." —  Jeannie Gainsburg

Episode References: 

• Daniel Jahn, The Empathy Edge Podcast: Racial Solidarity and the Psychology of Racism
• Leo Caldwell, The Empathy Edge Podcast: Why Anti-Trans Laws and Homophobia are Anti-Business
• We Can Do Hard Things podcast with Glennon Doyle

Brand Story Breakthrough course to help you craft a clear, compelling brand story - includes weekly office hours with Maria!

About Jeannie Gainsburg, Founder, Savvy Ally Action

Jeannie Gainsburg is an educational trainer and consultant in the field of LGBTQ+ inclusion and effective allyship. She is the founder of Savvy Ally Action, a small business that offers fun, accessible, and encouraging workshops and videos on how to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Before forming the company, she spent 15 years working for the Out Alliance, the LGBTQ+ center in Rochester, NY.

Her book, The Savvy Ally: A Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ Advocate, was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2020, with the revised 2nd edition published in March 2023.

Jeannie has a BA in psychology from Brown University and an MA in social work and social research from Bryn Mawr College. She is the recipient of the Empire State Pride Agenda’s Community Champion Award and the Rochester LGBTQ Community Appreciation Award. In 2019, Jeannie also received a citation from the New York State Assembly for Distinguished Educational & Human Rights Services for her work in promoting LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion.

Connect with Jeannie Gainsburg:  

Savvy Ally Action: savvyallyaction.com 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeannie-gainsburg 

Facebook: facebook.com/savvyally 

Instagram: instagram.com/jeanniegainsburgauthor 

Book: The Savvy Ally: A Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ Advocate (2nd Edition)

Bonus: 100% of royalties from 1st-year sales of the 2nd edition are donated to LGBTQ+ nonprofits working to create a more inclusive world!

Join the tribe, download your free guide! Discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

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

Check out this offer from our sponsor, Better Benefits USA: Are You Overpaying for Employee Benefits Without Knowing It? Take the free 10-minute benefits audit at https://findbetterbenefits.org/

Download "The Human Middle" Your free guide to resolving workplace conflict from JLG Lawyers- https://thehumanmiddle.ai/

Leaders, listen up: Have you ever heard the improv maxim, "Yes, and….?"

In my work researching, writing, and speaking to audiences about the power of empathy, a magnet has pulled me to one notion that gets in the way in almost every dysfunctional workplace or societal conversation.

Let me explain…

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• Our brains both defend us and hold us back due to cognitive dissonance. We want only one thing to be true because it is more simple, but simplicity is not always the answer. 
• Either/or thinking is broken and got us, as a society, into our current mess. 
• Dialectics is understanding we can hold two, seemingly contradictory things, to be true at the same time. It is a concept that will strengthen our businesses and our lives outside of work. 

"In our world and workplaces today, it no longer serves us to focus on either/or thinking. We must embrace BOTH/AND." —  Maria Ross

Episode References: 

• Improv's famous "Yes, and…"
• Discover more about the power of empathy and how to apply it to make a difference in your work and life at your organization or event!
• Psychology Today, Cognitive Dissonance: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/cognitive-dissonance 
• Seeing things differently: Red Slice blog, Representation Matters: https://www.red-slice.com/representation-matters/ 
• Red Slice blog, What Leadership Success Requires in Today's World: https://www.red-slice.com/what-leadership-success-requires-in-todays-world/ 
• Behavioral Psych Studio, What the heck is a dialectic? https://behavioralpsychstudio.com/what-the-heck-is-a-dialectic/ 

Brand Story Breakthrough course to help you craft a clear, compelling brand story  - includes weekly office hours with Maria!

Join the tribe, download your free guide! Discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

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

Check out this offer from our sponsor, Better Benefits USA: Are You Overpaying for Employee Benefits Without Knowing It? Take the free 10-minute benefits audit at https://findbetterbenefits.org/

"You're so needy" - We say that like it's an insult sometimes, but yes, yes you are needy. Because you're human! And until we can learn to identify our needs, find the words to articulate them, and adjust our schedules and interactions on any given day to accommodate them, we are doomed to burn out and be more unproductive than we ever thought possible.

My guest today is Mara Glatzel, author of Needy: How to Advocate For Your Needs and Claim Your Sovereignty. 

Today we discuss how high-achievers can identify and honor our own needs and how it helps us show up in the workplace as more empathetic leaders and better able to respond and perform iin healthy, creative ways. And how you can identify, center, and advocate for your needs in a world or workplace that is not aligned with your values Mara shares one way to be kind and generous to ourselves every day and talks about moving your relationship with yourself from a place of self-abandonment to self-partnership. Finally, we tackle how to balance your needs while avoiding selfishness - which is kind of a trick question, as you'll learn!

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• Many people do not have a vocabulary for their needs - this is starting to shift, but it is still a work in progress. 
• We lead by example - we need to take care of ourselves to show our staff that it is okay to take care of themselves as well. Everyone will benefit as more people take care of themselves.
• There is a multitude of directions our needs can take at any given time. With a little creativity, needs that feel out of reach, can be met within our current life restrictions.
• When we start our day, we should check in with ourselves first, not check our calendar and decide who we are going to be based on those expectations. 

"You are the vessel for everything you do. All of your work comes through you. If you’re not in good working order, that automatically impacts the work that you’re doing." —  Mara Glatzel

Brand Story Breakthrough course to help you craft a clear, compelling brand story  - includes weekly office hours with Maria!

About Mara Glatzel, Writer, Teacher + Podcast Host

Mara Glatzel, MSW (she/her) is an author, intuitive coach, and podcast host who helps humans stop abandoning themselves and start reclaiming their humanity through embracing their needs and honoring their natural energy rhythms. Her superpower is saying what you need to hear when you need to hear it and she is here to help you believe in yourself as much as she believes in you. Find out more at MaraGlatzel.com.

Connect with Mara Glatzel:  

Website: https://www.maraglatzel.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maraglatzel/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maraglatzel/ 

Book: Needy: How to Advocate For Your Needs and Claim Your Sovereignty https://www.maraglatzel.com/book/ 

Join the tribe, download your free guide! Discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

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

Check out this offer from our sponsor, Better Benefits USA: Are You Overpaying for Employee Benefits Without Knowing It? Take the free 10-minute benefits audit at https://findbetterbenefits.org/

Download "The Human Middle" Your free guide to resolving workplace conflict from JLG Lawyers- https://thehumanmiddle.ai/

How will AI transform leadership and work? Can we "delegate empathy" to it? Can we have empathic AI that fills a need we all have as humans? Today, I discuss all of this and the role of empathy in AI with my special return guest Minter Dial author of Heartificial Empathy, Putting Heart into Business and Artificial Intelligence, the 2nd edition, just released in 2023 to include all the latest AI shenanigans and progress.

Minter shares his emotional leadership story about how 9/11 opened his eyes to his own priorities and how he wanted to show up as a leader. We discuss how to put heart into AI and three key questions leaders need to answer before investing in it. Minter shares use cases where AI can help us at a very human level, can help us create engaging customer experiences, and helps solve both the loneliness epidemic and the shortage of mental health professionals. We also muse on how AI is transforming leadership and work - and why we can’t expect perfection from a system if we can't be perfect ourselves! 

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• Not everything needs to be told to everybody. You can still have secrets and still be authentic, vulnerable, and full of integrity. 
• As humans, we are not perfect. We cannot create something and expect perfection from that without holding ourselves to the same level.
• The AI will only be as good as what you put into it. It is about intentionality and working with the AI, not just expecting the AI to do everything perfectly on its own. 

"People tend to hold AI up to a higher standard than we hold ourselves up to. I find this to be a problem. [If we are expecting perfection] we are never going to get it!" —  Minter Dial

References Mentioned:

• The Empathy Edge Podcast: Minter Dial: How Being Yourself Makes You a Better Leader
• The Empathy Edge Podcast: Paul Marobella: Leading Through Crisis

Brand Story Breakthrough course to help you craft a clear, compelling brand story  - includes weekly office hours with Maria!

About Minter Dial, Professional Speaker, Author & Filmmaker

​Minter Dial is an international professional speaker, elevator and a multiple award-winning author. Minter's core career stint of 16 years was spent as a top executive at L’Oréal, where he was a member of the Worldwide Executive Committee for the Professional Products Division (PPD). Previously, he was MD of L'Oréal PPD Canada and CEO Worldwide for Redken. He's the author of the WWII biography and documentary film, The Last Ring Home (2016) and three business books, Futureproof (FT Press ​2017), You Lead (Kogan Page 2021), both of which won heralded Business Book Awards, and Heartificial Empathy, 2nd edition. He also runs three podcasts, Minter Dialogue in English and French, and The Joy of Padel.

Connect with Minter Dial:  

Mydial LLP: minterdial.com 

X: twitter.com/mdial 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/minterdial 

Facebook: facebook.com/minterdial 

Instagram: instagram.com/mdial 

Threads: threads.com/mdial

Book: Heartificial Empathy, Putting Heart into Business and Artificial Intelligence (2nd Edition) DigitalProof Press 2023 

Substack Newsletter: Dialogos, Fostering More Meaningful Conversations 

Podcasts:

Minter Dialogue (in English and French)

The Joy of Padel

Join the tribe, download your free guide! Discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

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

Check out this offer from our sponsor, Better Benefits USA: Are You Overpaying for Employee Benefits Without Knowing It? Take the free 10-minute benefits audit at https://findbetterbenefits.org/

Download "The Human Middle" Your free guide to resolving workplace conflict from JLG Lawyers- https://thehumanmiddle.ai/

When you think about your company's DEI efforts, are formerly incarcerated people in that equation? Probably not, right? Most companies shy away from hiring returning citizens for fear they can't be trusted, will not deliver value, or won't show up. And you would be wrong.

Today, Trent Griffin-Braaf shares his story, breaks apart negative stereotypes, and tells us about the many benefits of hiring such individuals. Trent explains how he saw transportation as a way to fight poverty and create more equity in employment, housing, and education in areas that need the most support.

We talk about the challenges faced by formerly incarcerated individuals in reintegrating into society and he shares the often overlooked impact of incarceration on mental health. But most importantly, Trent shares how your organization can support returning citizens in the workplace, what programs to put in place, and how to source this untapped, extremely loyal, talent pool, and why employing such individuals benefits your business and your community.

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• Transportation opens up many opportunities and paths for individuals to gain further education, increase pay opportunities, gain medical access, and, in many other ways, help to reduce poverty.
• For mental health, you need to understand what you need to show up - everyone is different and will have a different recharge. There is strength in that. 
• Every person should live their life like a business - with mission statements, values, and ethics. 

"Organizations need to identify what’s the real risk with certain crimes, then eliminate certain crimes if needed. But for most organizations, there should be no reason why they can’t work with you." —  Trent Griffin-Braaf

Episode References: 

• Chron: Programs that help former felons find jobs
• Indeed: Programs to help justice-impacted individuals get jobs
• Workforce Development Institute
• Re-entry Works
• National Urban League
• Center for Employment Opportunities

Brand Story Breakthrough course to help you craft a clear, compelling brand story  - includes weekly office hours with Maria!

About Trent Griffin-Braaf, Founder & CEO, Tech Valley Shuttle

Trent Griffin-Braaf is the CEO and Founder of Tech Valley Shuttle.  He has grown his business from a hotel-based transportation agency in 2016 to a fully customizable company specializing in workforce transportation. He now owns two of the larger Black-owned businesses in the Capital Region. Trent has been highlighted in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Forbes 1000, and the New York Times for his work. He was also recently named the 2023 SBA Upstate NY Small Business Person of the Year for expanding his ride services during the pandemic, filling a critical community need. Trent was formerly incarcerated, and since his release, he has dedicated his career to creating opportunities for others in the same position through Tech Valley Shuttle. His ultimate goal is to be a resource for others by shifting how organizations perceive and hire from underrepresented groups.

Connect with Trent Griffin-Braaf:  

Website: techvalleyshuttle.com & trentgriffinbraaf.com 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/trentgb 

Instagram: instagram.com/iamtrentgriffinbraaf

X: twitter.com/TechValeyShutle 

Facebook: facebook.com/techvalleyshuttle 

Join the tribe, download your free guide! Discover what empathy can do for you: red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

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

Check out this offer from our sponsor, Better Benefits USA: Are You Overpaying for Employee Benefits Without Knowing It? Take the free 10-minute benefits audit at https://findbetterbenefits.org/

Download "The Human Middle" Your free guide to resolving workplace conflict from JLG Lawyers- https://thehumanmiddle.ai/

Benevolent cyborgs. Not a phrase you hear often these days. With all the hand-wringing and media fear-mongering about AI and new technologies, we seem to have lost the bigger vision of how technology can improve our lives. That's why today, I'm speaking with Dr. Cori Lathan, a techno-optimist who believes technology can be used to build empathy and connection. 

Today we discuss how Star Wars and a very creative 2nd grade teacher sparked her journey into innovation and invention, how technology is being used to build empathy and connection, why empathy makes a better design team, and the future of human-machine interaction. 

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• Technology can be a tool to help children achieve developmental milestones and build empathy. 
• The media will give the negative side of AI and technology because it gets better views and clicks. But great things are happening with technology that is helping to create a beautiful future. 
• Designing tech is about more than what happens behind the computer screen. It is about understanding the user experience and what it means for your end user.

"We are creating the future, someone isn’t doing it for us. We can create the future we want to see. We can choose the direction it goes." —  Dr. Cori Lathan

Episode References: 

• Dr. Cori Lathan's Book: Inventing the Future, Stories from a Techno-Optimist: https://inventthefuture.tech/
• Dr. Cori Lathan's TEDx Talk: Innovation, Empathy, and the Future of Human-Machine Interaction:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnV6QDhwvhk
• The Empathy Edge Podcast: Ron Gura: How Technology Helps People Navigate Grief

Brand Story Breakthrough course to help you craft a clear, compelling brand story - includes weekly office hours with Maria!

About Corinna Lathan + Founder and Former Board Chair and CEO

Dr. Corinna Lathan is a technology entrepreneur who has developed robots for kids with disabilities, virtual reality technology for the space station, and wearable sensors for training surgeons and soldiers. She is a global thought leader in the relationship between technology and human performance and believes in a future of benevolent cyborgs! Dr. Lathan is Co-Founder of AnthroTronix, Inc., a biomedical engineering company focused on brain health, which she led for 23 years as Board Chair. and CEO. She developed one of the first FDA-cleared digital health platforms winning a prestigious Gold Edison Award.  She was named a Woman to Watch by Disruptive Women in Health Care, a Technology Pioneer, and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. She also Chaired the Forum’s Councils on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, and Human Enhancement and Longevity. Dr. Lathan has been featured in Forbes, Time, and the New Yorker magazines and her work has led to such distinctions as MIT Technology Review Magazine’s “Top 100 World Innovators,” and one of Fast Company Magazines “Most Creative People in Business.” Dr. Lathan received her B.A. in Biopsychology and Mathematics from Swarthmore College, an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from M.I.T.

Connect with Dr. Cori Lathan:  

AnthroTronix: www.atinc.com 

Twitter: twitter.com/clathan 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/clathan 

Instagram: instagram.com/drcoril 

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Welcome the final Hot Take of 2023! In this final Hot Take of the year, I'll share a bit about how to find joy in what can feel like a dark, bleak time in the world and what empathy calls us to be for others. And I share an anecdote from my 9-year-old son that prompted me to think about how some leaders are being a bit lazy when it comes to reaping the benefits of empathetic cultures.

Have a wonderful holiday season and here's to more empathy, joy, and peace in our world in 2024!

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• Empathy needs to be woven into the way we interact with each other, it cannot be outsourced to HR as the one person for empathy. 
• Seek out ways to find ways to bring empathy, kindness, and joy into your own home, work, and community this holiday season and beyond. 
• 2024 promises us another chance to engage, connect, and love. Let’s use it for those purposes and make creating genuine relationships one of our goals for the new year.

"The point of empathetic leadership is that your team members know that YOU, their leader, have their backs, and see, hear, and value them." —  Maria Ross

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Join the tribe, download your free guide! Discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

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

Check out this offer from our sponsor, Better Benefits USA: Are You Overpaying for Employee Benefits Without Knowing It? Take the free 10-minute benefits audit at https://findbetterbenefits.org/