Can genius and empathy coexist or are we doomed to put up with tortured, erratic leaders to find breakthroughs? People cite examples of temperamental, even bullying, genius leaders who create toxic workplaces and use their ability to unlock innovation as an excuse for their damaging behavior. My guest today, Taryn Voget, debunks this myth, shows us what genius is all about, and how empathy serves as a catalyst for genius.

Today we discuss what genius is and why it's not simply about being born with it. Taryn shares the link between genius, spirituality, and empathy - and some unique ways leaders have leveraged empathy to achieve innovative insights. She shares how genius actually works and offers you tips on how to enhance your and your team's genius in the workplace. You will leave today's episode inspired to embrace and cultivate your own genius.

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

Key Takeaways:

• Genius is a verb, it is not something you can measure on a test.
• Effective engagement and genius happen when you try to see things from the other person's point of view and address those goals, fears, needs, expectations, and aspirations.
• Are you excited as a leader? The energy you bring will be the energy that the team feels. If you’re not operating from excitement, how can you expect your team to be?

"Genius is activated through excitement, because that is the driving engine that creates continuous improvement, getting better over time." —  Taryn Voget

Episode References:

• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Empathy Edge podcast: Denise Roberson: Mistakes Leaders and Boards Make When Thinking About Purpose

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 Taryn Voget: Founder, EveryDay Genius

Taryn Voget is a leading expert on genius and the founder of Everyday Genius, a media and education company that unpacks the strategies of genius from the world’s top minds. Through her engaging and relatable videos and podcast, Taryn shares these strategies with actionable insights that help people fast-track their growth and unleash their genius.

Known for her dynamic talks on genius, innovation, passion, purpose, and business, Taryn inspires audiences to think bigger and aim higher. She’s the author of six books on the strategies of genius (plus a memoir!) and works with individuals and organizations to uncover and amplify their unique genius.

Taryn's clients include industry giants such as SpaceX, Disney, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gap Inc., Genentech, and many more.

Connect with Taryn:

Everyday Genius: everydaygenius.tv

Taryn Voget Consulting: tarynvoget.com

X: x.com/tarynvoget

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tarynvoget

Facebook: facebook.com/tarynvoget

Instagram: instagram.com/tarynvoget

YouTube: youtube.com/@tarynvoget

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

We would love to get your thoughts on the show! Please click https://bit.ly/edge-feedback to take this 5-minute survey, thanks!

When did soft skills like empathy become deprioritized in the tech industry? My guest today shares a little history lesson on how that happened and why initially those soft, human skills were always a vital part of successful innovation and technology before they got separated. Only now are they finding their way back to each other in software development and programming to solve the 21st century's most complex challenges. 

Today, I talk with Andrea Goulet. We talk about how soft skills like empathy lost favor in technology curricula,  and how she built her business centered around empathy before it successfully merged with another company. She talks about the research she uncovered on programming models that parallel human communication. And we discussed why the current AI landscape is moving so fast but that her models can be used to ensure we intentionally apply empathy to deal with long-term consequences while still gaining short-term benefits.

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

Key Takeaways:

• Investing in empathetic communication will positively impact any team you’re on. Having a good understanding of empathy drives any industry.
• 80 to 90% of our miscommunications happen at the concept level because you can say something and someone can understand the word but might think of it as a different thing.
• The four dimensions of human communication and our ability to pivot and understand one another are: catch, collect, connect, and communicate.

"Whether we're talking about software,  building pyramids, or finding new ways to hunt and take down the mammoth, empathy is the mechanism that enables us to communicate, collaborate, and solve complex problems together." —  Andrea Goulet

Episode References:

• Ilana Ben-Ari: How The Empathy Toy is Changing the World

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 Andrea Goulet: Co-Founder, CorgiBytes, Founder, Empathy in Tech

Andrea Goulet is on a mission to integrate empathy into the software industry. She is a sought-after international keynote speaker, experienced software executive, and award-winning industry leader. Her expertise centers on using empathy and effective communication to modernize legacy and mission-critical software systems.

Through her online courses, Andrea has taught over 50,000 students how to level up their empathy and communication skills to create better software. She is the author of the forthcoming book, Empathy-Driven Software Development, and the founder of Empathy in Tech, an online community where code and compassion connect.

Connect with Andrea:

Website: andreagoulet.com

Empathy in Tech: empathyintech.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andreamgoulet

Her coming book: Empathy-Driven Software Development

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

We would love to get your thoughts on the show! Please click https://bit.ly/edge-feedback to take this 5-minute survey, thanks!

Your culture is shaped by models, expectations, and accountability. It's not enough to have pretty values statements up on the wall if they are not a part of everyday interactions internally and externally. But simply telling your people to "be nice" can be its own risk. What does nice actually mean? How is it different from the skill of empathy or the impact of kindness? You may be surprised to learn why simply being nice can be risky and why empathy and kindness are more practical values to model and reward.

My guest today is Mikaela Kiner, founder, CEO, and executive coach. We discuss the risk of being nice and how it can hamper connection and results. Why and how to expect kindness from everyone you work with - from colleagues to partners to clients. How clarity is kind - and leads to better results. Mikaela shares tips on making more space to practice listening and empathy and the tradeoff you make when you claim you "don't have time" to build those connections with your employees. And Mikaela shares why two big-empathy, high EQ execs from two of the largest tech giants in the world are her all-time favorite clients.

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

Key Takeaways:

• Helping people figure out if they’re in the right role is empathetic. Forcing someone to stay in a role because it’s “nice” isn’t empathetic. 
• People tend to think short-term, but we need to consider long-term investment. Putting time into your team will help with retention, which will save time in recruiting and training later. 
• Schedule less in your day. Then, when a team member reaches out or an emergency happens, things will feel less frantic and frustrating, which leads to greater empathy.
• Think of tactics as a team that will help your organization feel less busy and less frantic by scheduling in buffer time. 

"Something that so many people forget is that you can have really healthy, non-adversarial conflict. We can disagree, we can speak our minds, we can hash things out in a way that isn't nasty or argumentative." —  Mikaela Kiner

Episode References:

• The Empathy Edge Podcast: Justin Jones-Fosu: How to Respectfully Disagree - and Not in a Passive-Aggressive Way
• I Respectfully Disagree by Justin Jones Fosu

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 Mikaela Kiner, Founder & CEO, Reverb

Mikaela Kiner  is a founder, CEO, and executive coach. Her company Reverb helps organizations create healthy, inclusive cultures. Prior to Reverb, Mikaela held HR leadership roles at Northwest companies including Microsoft, Starbucks, and Amazon. She enjoys coaching leaders at all levels and working with mission-driven organizations. Mikaela is the author of Female Firebrands: Stories and Techniques to Ignite Change, Take Control, and Succeed in the Workplace. Her young adult children are good at challenging the status quo and are a constant source of learning and laughter.

Connect with Mikaela:

Reverb: reverbpeople.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mikaelakiner

Instagram: instagram.com/mikaela_firebrand

Book: Female Firebrands

Online Training: Practical Skills for Great People Leaders: reverbpeople.com/services/leadership-development/on-demand-management-training

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

We would love to get your thoughts on the show! Please click https://bit.ly/edge-feedback to take this 5-minute survey, thanks!

Imagine a world where compassion is the norm. This is the world I'm trying to build with my work. In this final Hot Take episode of 2024, I talk about the importance of humanity, compassion, and empathy in all aspects of our lives and businesses and remembering those things that matter most as we go into 2025. With clear statistics from the 2024 Businesssolver State of Workplace Empathy report showing increased loneliness, toxic workplaces, and higher mental health challenges, it’s key that we fight against these negative trends by embracing our values, modeling them, celebrating them, and rewarding them in whatever sphere of influence we have. We fight by disproving the false belief that you can't be empathetic and successful or impactful at the same time.

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

Key Takeaways:

• Business is just another way we humans interact with one another. We should be able to be whole people wherever we are in the world. However, we move about it, and with whomever we choose to interact. 
• We cannot “go gentle into that goodnight,” as poet Dylan Thomas once wrote. Human connection, empathy, and compassion are worth fighting for. 
• Embracing empathy is how we will change the cultures of toxic workplaces and improve mental health.

"I invite you to be part of turning the tide - speak out, and model empathy and compassion whether you're with your kids, on social media, stuck in traffic, or, yes, at a budget meeting at work." —  Maria Ross

Episode References: 

• Get a volume discount on multiple copies of The Empathy Dilemma for employees, Colleagues, partners, clients, or customers: Check out both Book Passage and Porchlight Books at www.TheEmpathyDilemma.com. For brand customization or a custom landing page for fulfillment, please contact me directly and I'll take care of you with Porchlight: https://red-slice.com/contact/

• A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World  by Daniel Goleman

• 2024 Businessolver State of Workplace Empathy

• Apple TV series Severance

Related Articles:

• 3 Observations About Compassion from the Dalai Lama
• How Purpose Leads to Company Success
• Empathy for Others Starts with Empathy for Yourself 

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.

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

We would love to get your thoughts on the show! Please click https://bit.ly/edge-feedback to take this 5-minute survey, thanks!

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 effectiveness
• The critical difference between personality traits and behavioral tendencies
• Practical strategies for breaking the burnout cycle
• How to develop a more expansive leadership repertoire

Don'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 research

• Leadership Bermuda Triangle Assessment: 15 Warning Signs of Team Misalignment & Performance 

About 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

We would love to get your thoughts on the show! Please click https://bit.ly/edge-feedback to take this 5-minute survey, thanks!

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

We would love to get your thoughts on the show! Please click https://bit.ly/edge-feedback to take this 5-minute survey, thanks!

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 Compassion

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 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

We would love to get your thoughts on the show! Please click https://bit.ly/edge-feedback to take this 5-minute survey, thanks!

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 Domination
• Jessica Swank: How Box Navigates the New World of Work
• Anna Litotta: Understanding Generational CODES

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 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

We would love to get your thoughts on the show! Please click https://bit.ly/edge-feedback to take this 5-minute survey, thanks!

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-Awareness
• Book: Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest: amazon.com/Be-Unicorn-Data-Driven-Separate-Leaders/dp/1400247101
• More book info and resources: www.TheUnicornBook.com
• Assessment model: www.VanderIndex.com

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 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

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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

We would love to get your thoughts on the show! Please click https://bit.ly/edge-feedback to take this 5-minute survey, thanks!