When you think of workplace wellness, you may picture gym memberships and yoga mats. But joy, empathy, and inclusion also create a healthy and high-performing workplace culture! We need to reimagine what wellness means!

Today, Misha Safran, shares how empathy intersects with inclusion to foster innovation and equity. We also discuss how to reframe the misconceptions about empathy that exist in high-pressure workplaces. With brilliant mindset shifts and practical tips, she shares how leaders can model empathy without feeling performative, and how to navigate conflict using empathy and emotional intelligence. Misha shares the four elements of joy and why you can be more successful when you embrace them so your team can break free from chaos and transform that energy into creativity, problem-solving, and success.

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

Key Takeaways:

• Empathy is love, care, and concern - not agreement. It’s having conversations, it’s listening to know what’s going on, and it’s having healthy boundaries.
• Empathy before accusation.
• Empathy might look different depending on personality - it doesn’t have to mean being touchy-feely or crying on the floor with your employees.
• Especially in conflict, urgency causes chaos - slow down, take a pause, take a breath, and respond, don’t react. Slow down to build up.

"Ask questions for the person in front of you to grow, not for you to know." —  Misha Safran

About Misha Safran, Founder, Center for Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

Misha Safran, an engaging keynote speaker and author, holds a Professional Coaching Certification (PCC) from the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She is the founder of CEEQ, the Center for Empathy and Emotional Intelligence, LLC, and in 2022 was honored with the CEO Award from the National Institute of Health (NIH) for her impactful work on a DEIA training team.

With infectious positivity, intuitive insights, and deep empathy, Misha creates safe spaces for individuals and teams to navigate discomfort while building essential skills. Her unique ability to support organizations in transforming conflict into connection, collaboration, and currency inspires communities to thrive, celebrate achievements, and foster renewed enthusiasm for collective work.

Misha’s passion lies in empowering people to reset their mindset, unlocking renewed energy, improved problem-solving, heightened creativity, and more thoughtful communication. She has dedicated her career to cultivating inclusive, sustainable relationships and fostering environments where everyone can succeed.

Connect with Misha:

CEEQ: ceeq.org

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/misha-safran

Facebook: facebook.com/CEEQempathy

Instagram: instagram.com/mishasafran

Workplace Wellness Program: Laughter to Joy Wellness Experience for Connection, Collaboration, and Sustainable Success - Schedule a consultation: [email protected]

Book: A Teacher's Companion: Centering Empathy & Emotional Well-Being for Yourself and Your Students and bonus package for schools!

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

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There's a powerful psychological state that can paralyze us, interfere with effective relationships, block our empathy, and cause us to inflict harm. It's called shame.

Today, David Bedrick shares what shame is, how it’s created, and its connection to trauma. Some say shame keeps us humble, but David shares why we don’t need shame because it's not the same as embarrassment or regret. We unpack why shame is not a feeling but a psychological state that can leave you numb - and how you can instead create a space of safety and security within yourself. David shares how we can snap out of a shame spiral in the moment and also gives insights as to why some people may feel a need to shame others. David makes us think about our need to “solve,” or pathologize as he puts it, shame, anger, depression, and the like rather than process root causes to make meaning. He offers an intriguing thought experiment to try to break yourself of this tendency! Lastly, we touch on how to unashame conflict and dialogue through conflict in a more productive way.

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

Key Takeaways:

• Shame is different from embarrassment or humiliation. Shame is a psychological state that may have feelings associated with it. 
• Negative feelings are not bad - they can even be helpful for understanding our behavior and lead us to making an action toward repair. 
• Say the criticisms in your head aloud from the perspective of the negatives - it gives you a chance to respond and advocate for yourself. 

"If shame enters my system, the only thing I care about is removing the bad experience I have in myself. I don't care about you. I care about being low. In the fully shame psyche, you don't exist as a person that matters to me at all." —  David Bedrick, JD, Dipl. PW

Episode References:

• The Unshaming Way: amazon.com/Unshaming-Way-Compassionate-Dismantling-Shame-Heal/dp/B0CWL19X7G
• The Empathy Edge: Edwin Rutsch: How “Empathy Circles” Can Change the World

About David Bedrick, JD, Dipl. PW Founder, The Santa Fe Institute for Shame-based Studies and Author of The Unshaming Way

David is a teacher, counselor, and attorney. He was adjunct faculty at the University of Phoenix and the Process Work Institute in the U.S. and Poland. He is the founder of the Santa Fe Institute for Shame-based Studies, where he offers facilitation training to deepen the skills and awareness of therapists, coaches, and healers and workshops for individuals to further their own personal development. He is a writer for Psychology Today and the author of four books: Talking Back to Dr. Phil: Alternatives to Mainstream Psychology; Revisioning Activism: Bringing Depth, Dialogue, and Diversity to Individual and Social Change; and You Can’t Judge a Body by Its Cover: 17 Women’s Stories of Hunger, Body Shame and Redemption. His recent book, The Unshaming Way, has been endorsed by Gabor Mate. 

Connect with David:

Santa Fe Institute for Shame-based Studies: davidbedrick.com 

Facebook: facebook.com/david.bedrick.9 

Instagram: instagram.com/david.bedrick 

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

Sign up for Optionality now! Go to opt

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

Truthbomb: A collection of people working in the same department, function, or even office are not necessarily a team. And if you want high performance, you need to know the difference.

Today, Pam Fox Rollin shares the important difference between groups and teams - if you don't understand this, you may be consistently beating your head against a wall! - and the factors that help you turn your collection of people into a truly high-performing team. We talk about how empathy drives team performance and the transformation she has seen when leaders learn to bring empathy to their work. Pam introduces the concept of Conversations for Relationship and why understanding that those exist, even when you can't hear them, impacts performance. eWe discuss the intersection of teams and communities, and how to build a “team brand” that helps you succeed within your organization. Finally, Pam shares real-life examples from her clients on how to develop empathy and use it wisely while avoiding the pitfalls. 

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

Key Takeaways:

• There are four essential conversations teams must have: Conversation for Possibility, Conversation for Decision, Conversation for Action, and Conversation for Relationship. 
• If there is low trust, there will be slow change. If you want your organization to change faster, you must build that trust.
• Take a stand, put a stake in the ground, and give people accurate information about what you’re about and what your purpose is. 

"They needed something more, and that something more is fundamentally two things: one, a shared promise, and two…a commitment to coordinate to fulfill that promise." —  Pam Fox Rollin

Episode References: 

• Right to Be: https://righttobe.org/ 
• The Empathy Edge podcast: Carrie Melissa Jones: Building Successful Communities

About Pam Fox Rollin, Executive Team Coach, and Co-Author, Growing Groups Into Teams

Pam Fox Rollin coaches senior executives and C-suite teams in Silicon Valley and globally. Pam guides tech, biotech, and healthcare organizations to succeed in strategic transformation, executive development, and culture initiatives. With her Altus Growth Partners team, she is co-author of the new book Growing Groups into Teams. Her MBA is from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, where she later served as a Guest Fellow in Leadership and Master Coach. Pam is known as an impactful speaker and valuable thought partner to leaders navigating complex change.

Connect with Pam:  

Altus Growth Partners: altusgrowth.com 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/pamfoxrollin 

Book: Growing Groups into Teams: Real-Life Stories of People Who Get Results and Thrive Together: growinggroupsintoteams.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

Sign up for Optionality now! Go to opt

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

Traditional Management Models Are Failing (And What Actually Works)

What if Gen Z's approach to work isn't just different, but better? Join Kim Bohr and Dr. Meisha Rouser as they challenge "kids these days" stereotypes and explore why traditional management is failing this generation.

Discover why questions about pay transparency and work-life boundaries signal evolution, not entitlement. Learn how leaders can adapt by understanding economic realities, setting clear expectations, and transforming feedback approaches.

Dr. Rouser shares practical leadership strategies to create meaningful growth opportunities that retain Gen Z talent while building more adaptive, high-performing teams.

Tune in every 3rd Thursday, right here on The Empathy Edge for the Courage to Advance episodes!

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

Key Takeaways:

• Why the "pay your dues" mentality is driving away top talent
• How to transform feedback and development approaches for maximum impact
• The importance of clear expectations and boundaries
• Understanding the economic realities shaping Gen Z workplace needs
• Why challenging workplace norms isn't entitlement but evolution

"This generation isn't just challenging workplace norms - they're showing us a better way forward. When they ask 'why do we work this way?' they're not being difficult, they're pushing us to create workplaces that actually work for everyone." – Dr. Meisha Rouser, PCC

About Dr. Meisha Rouser, PCC

Meisha is a recognized expert in organizational development, leadership, and change management with over 20 years of experience. She specializes in cultural transformation, executive coaching, and building high-performing leadership teams.  

As an organizational psychologist, her research on Gen Z in the workplace provides groundbreaking insights for creating productive and meaningful work environments. She skillfully navigates organizational culture to ensure lasting impact and strategic success. 

Meisha holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University, a Master’s in Organizational Development, and an Executive Leadership Certificate from MIT Sloan school of business. She has worked with clients including HP, FujiFilms, Intel, Jackson Laboratories, and the U.S. Navy. 

Connect with Dr. Meisha Rouser:  

Website: https://meisharouser.com/ 

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

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 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

Sign up for Optionality now! Go to opt

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

Courageous empathy. Yep - it takes courage and strength to break existing leadership paradigms and embrace empathy in our world today.  We don't acknowledge that often enough. Embracing empathy as a leader is as much a self-development exercise as it is a leadership style! Today I speak with Sanela Lukanovic about courageous empathy, how the identity of empathy gets in the way of embracing it at the top, how it can be used against you, and how to practice empathy while avoiding burnout by starting with self-compassion.  

Sanela shares how her knack for coaching difficult people without blocking change can enable you to deal with the person rather than the problem. And why we sometimes swing too far between polar opposite paradigms of cold dictatorship and submissive chaos before we can land on what works right for us.

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

Key Takeaways:

• Be brave enough to be the type of leader that is required in our workplaces and our world.
• You must set boundaries around empathy. If you don’t, you are risking burnout, people-pleasing, and submission in your leadership. You don’t want to wall yourself off, but you don’t want to be walked all over either.
• Boundaries allow you to see and allow a back and forth (like over a fence). Barriers impede progress. 

"It takes a lot of courage to sit across from somebody and be open and willing to hear their perspective." —  Sanela Lukanovic

Episode References: 

• The Daring Greatly Programme, based on research by Dr. Brené Brown: selfdom.life/daring-greatly

The Empathy Edge podcast episodes: 

• Daina Middleton: How to Do Layoffs with Humanity, Inclusion, and Compassion
• M.E. Hart: How to Have Honest Conversations at Work

About Sanela Lukanovic: Transformational Coach and Daring Way™ Facilitator

Sanela Lukanovic is a Transformational Coach and founder of Selfdom. With over two decades of experience, Sanela empowers individuals to lead with authenticity, purpose, and courage. She is a public speaker, thought leader, and expert in coaching women leaders to overcome unique challenges and create value-aligned change.

Using somatic and neuroscience tools, Sanela helps clients achieve holistic personal growth. Her impactful talks and group programs focus on building courage, empathy as a shame resilience tool, perfectionism, boundaries, and self-compassion. 

Her background in management consulting and cross-sector experience in leadership development enrich her coaching approach.

Connect with Sanela:

Selfdom: selfdom.life 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sanela-lukanovic-682927 

Instagram: instagram.com/selfdom_life 

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

Sign up for Optionality now! Go to opt

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

Diversity, equity, and inclusion have become polarizing terms in our world and that is likely because they are greatly misunderstood. Part of that misunderstanding comes from our unconscious filters - how we see the world, how we take in information, and how we assume we are “the norm" but others are different when the reality is we are ALL different.

Today, Sara Taylor illuminates us by sharing what unconscious filters are and the three purposes they serve for us humans - even though they can get in the way of effective relationships. We discuss why diversity initiatives have become so polarized despite the data on how diversity and inclusion enrich organizations and the bottom line, and what we can do to better communicate those benefits by dealing with emotions and unconscious filters more than facts and figures. Sara also shares how intent and impact look different from both sides of the relationship, how to pause to check ourselves, and why leaders set the bar and build the culture so your DEIB initiatives will get traction.

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

Key Takeaways:

• We are inputting 11 million bits of information every second across all our senses, but we can only process and are only consciously aware of 40 of those.
• Assume positive intent on behalf of others. Also, assume your impact isn’t positive. When you take that accountability, we can communicate more effectively when we face obstacles.
• It is not your responsibility to make others behave empathetically. It is your responsibility to model the appropriate empathetic behavior.
• You can’t make empathy HR’s problem. It requires self-awareness and consciously slowing down to understand your own biases. 

"Where are we missing the mark when we know that everyone benefits from an inclusive workplace? Why is there resistance? How do we need to approach folks in our organization that are resistant in a different way for them to see what's in their self-interest as well?" —  Sara Taylor. Author, Thinking at the Speed of Bias

Episode References: 

• Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Assessment 

The Empathy Edge podcast episodes related to DEIB:

• Karen Catlin: How to be a Real Ally
• Cynthia Owyoung: Diversity and Inclusion Deliver Real Results. But Have We Made Progress?
• Jeannie Gainsburg: How to Be a Savvy LGBTQ+ Ally
• Renée Freeman: Coaching Leaders to Embrace Inclusion
• M.E. Hart: How to Have Honest Conversations at Work

About Sara Taylor, President, deepSEE Consulting, Author, Thinking at the Speed of Bias

Nationally recognized speaker, author, and consultant, Sara is a thought leader in the field of DEI and Cultural Competence. Numerous individuals and organizations use her bestselling book, Filter Shift, and new release book Thinking at the Speed of Bias to increase success and create greater effectiveness in interactions across differences. Sara’s company, deepSEE Consulting works with local, national, and global clients to take their Diversity and Inclusion work to the next level.

Connect with Sara:

Book: Thinking at the Speed of Bias

deepSEE Consulting: deepseeconsulting.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarajanetaylor

Facebook: facebook.com/deepsee.consulting

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

Sign up for Optionality now! Go to opt

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

Work can be one of the biggest drivers of positivity in your life, but no one ever really explains how to be successful without sacrificing everything outside of the office. When you enjoy your work, you’re more successful and any joy you feel on the job spills over into the rest of your life as well. Kind of like practicing empathy at work and bringing that skill home with you!

My guest today is Jason Silver, author of Your Grass is Greener: Use What You Have, Get What You Want. At Work and in Life. We discuss why leaning into values matters, what he learned about people-centric leadership at AirBnB, and how he carried that into his other successful endeavors. He shares 9 of the most common workplace challenges, why the term "best practice” is dangerous, and the difference between intention and purpose.   He shares powerful habits to find more enjoyment at work - which he says is not the fluff but the fuel  - and he tells you exactly how to ask your boss to allow you to do your work in ways you enjoy more! Finally, we discuss why it’s easy for leaders to attribute cost but less easy to attribute exponential benefits when you focus on enjoyment and people first.

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

Key Takeaways:

• Take care of your people first and they will take care of any problem your business runs into. 
• The earlier you start, the more you can bake the values of the organization into the company and team members, which makes it easier to make every decision based on those values. 
• It is not a waste of time to reflect and learn from our weeks. If we don’t know where we were unintentionally pulled sideways or intentionally set other things aside, we won’t know what we need to focus on going forward. 
• You are not going to find every aspect of your job fun or enjoyable, but it doesn’t have to be constant fun for you to find overall enjoyment in your career.

"Enjoyment isn't the fluff. Enjoyment is the fuel. The more you're enjoying your work, the more likely it is that you accomplish bigger and bigger things." —  Jason Silver

About Jason Silver, Founder and author of Your Grass is Greener

Jason Silver is a multi-time founder of kids and a multi-time founder of companies.He gets his biggest thrill helping modern employees and their teams unlock a better way to work—surfing is a close second. He was an early employee at Airbnb and helped build an AI company from the ground up back before AI was the cool thing to do. Today, he as a self-professed "Startup Personal Trainer", advises a startup portfolio valued in the billions on how to build great, lasting companies that people actually enjoy working for. He’s a sought-after public speaker, instructor, and advisor on how to transform work into one of the biggest drivers of positivity in your life. When he’s not busy helping people solve their hardest workplace challenges, Jason’s kids are busy reminding him just how much of a work in progress he still is too.

Connect with Jason Silver:

Website: thejasonsilver.com

Book: Your Grass is Greener: Use What You Have. Get What You Want. At Work and In Life

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/silverjay

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

Sign up for Optionality now! Go to opt

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

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 CourageToAdvancePodcast.com.

The AI skills gap is widening between high-performing organizations and those falling behind. With only 27% of HR leaders feeling ready to advance their AI strategy, what separates the leaders from the laggards? Join Kim Bohr and i4cp CEO Kevin Oakes as they dive into groundbreaking research on workforce readiness in the era of AI, revealing shocking statistics about executive training and organizational success.

Drawing from extensive research comparing high and low-performing organizations, Kevin shares how leading companies are leveraging AI to achieve up to 30% higher productivity through comprehensive training programs. Discover why companies like Moderna and Mastercard are succeeding with AI adoption rates of 80%, while others struggle to start.

Learn why waiting to embrace AI might be the biggest risk of all, and how to position your organization for success in this rapidly evolving landscape.

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:

• High-performing organizations are 17 times more likely to train their executive leaders on Gen AI, creating a significant competitive advantage
• Only 11% of organizations are fully embracing AI across their enterprise, with top performers focusing on both efficiency and effectiveness
• Organizations successfully scaling AI achieve up to 30% higher productivity through comprehensive training programs
• The role of HR in AI strategy has dramatically improved, with non-involvement dropping from 41% to 22% in recent years
• Creating a "change-ready" culture is crucial for successful AI implementation, emphasizing learning over knowing

"You want to create a workforce and a leadership team that are agile and that not only can roll with the punches but can embrace them and figure out how to use this change to our advantage."  - Kevin Oakes

About Kevin Oakes, CEO at i4cp

Kevin is CEO and co-founder of the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), the world's leading human capital research firm focusing on people practices that drive high performance. He is the author of Culture Renovation®, an Amazon bestseller which details how high-performance organizations successfully change organizational culture. Kevin has an extensive background in HR technology and corporate development, previously founding SumTotal Systems and serving as Chairman & CEO of Click2learn. He currently serves on several boards and is dedicated to advancing human capital practices that create lasting organizational success.

Connect with Kevin Oakes

I4cp: i4cp.com

Book: Culture Renovation: 18 Leadership Actions to Build an Unshakeable Company

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 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

Sign up for Optionality now! Go to opt

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

Today I speak with Jen Stark and Jarrid Green, Co-Directors, of the Center for Business and Social Justice. We candidly discuss how DEI and other topics became flashpoints and ideological hostages rather than sustained corporate efforts, and how companies can break this cycle.  We explore the questions executives and boards are asking, how companies can respond to activist shareholders and continue to promote fairness and equity while also fulfilling their responsibility to ensure strong financial performance - and why we're “beyond the business case” so we can adapt our narrative. Jen and Jarrid offer valuable advice on how everyone from the C-suite to DEIB and CSR professionals in the trenches can stay motivated and respond. 

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

Key Takeaways:

• You cannot be neutral anymore. Consumers want to know what their money will support and want to be value aligned.
• Be authentic with yourself - you need to understand why you are doing what you are doing.
• Lean into your smaller, individual communities. Mass media and social media information sharing is not enough.

"We’ve left the era of case-making. There are enough data points, surveys, and white papers that if it is was just rational thought governing business decisions, you’d be in a different place." —  Jen Stark

Episode References: 

• Kerner Report: pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/bombshell-political-report
• The Center's Social Justice Guidebook: bsr.org/en/focus/equity-inclusion-and-justice
• How to Survive a Plague by David France: penguinrandomhouse.com/books/209900/how-to-survive-a-plague-by-david-france
• Suffs: The Musical: suffsmusical.com

About Jen Stark and Jarrid Green, Co-Directors, Center or Business and Social Justice

Jen Stark is a strategy development and implementation expert at complex health and humanitarian organizations with 20+ years of experience. She launched BSR’s Center for Business and Social Justice in 2022 alongside Jarrid Green to illuminate a path for companies to shift from performative to transformational actions with a focus on public policy engagement and influence. She is frequently cited in business press on flashpoint topics and is an advisor to Gauge.ai and GoFundMe’s Compassion Leadership Network. 

Jarrid Green co-designs and implements programmatic efforts alongside Jen Stark for the Center for Business and Social Justice, an initiative of BSR that seeks to mobilize companies to take systemic and intersectional approaches to their social impact efforts. Jarrid’s role includes developing research, thought leadership, frameworks, and capacity-building opportunities related to corporate social impact strategies.  He also provides collaborative oversight and direction for the Center’s organizational and administrative functions, and acilitates the execution of the Center’s ongoing corporate, civil society stakeholder, and donor activities.

Connect with Jen and Jarrid:

Business for Social Responsibility: bsr.org/en/collaboration/groups/center-for-business-and-social-justice

Jen Stark LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jenstark

Jarrid Green LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jarridgreenmba

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

Sign up for Optionality now! Go to opt

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

This month's Hot Take is a bit of a hodgepodge. You're going to get the chance the tell me more about you and what you want to see on the show this year (and maybe share what you wish were different) - and I warn you: I'm gonna go on a bit of a rant about how we need to desperately stop moving backwards and band together to keep achieving progress - for ourself, our organizations, and our world. You may think I'm being political and ranty, but I am truly sharing facts - albeit yes, with my personal and professional opinion layered in for context.  I mean, that's why you love me, right?! My goal is to inspire you to think differently about what you are hearing and seeing and stay focused on moving forward.

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

Key Takeaways:

• Ambition, competitiveness, bravery, and strength are all key human traits. They do not need to be labeled as masculine or feminine. They belong to everyone.
• Sharing opportunity does not remove anyone else's opportunity. It opens the doors for more people and greater success for all.
• All this backlash to DEI,  empathy, and emotional intelligence is a mere distraction to the last dying gasp of an old-world leadership paradigm.

"That is what inclusion means: a place where you don't have to pretend to be something you're not. A place where everyone has the opportunity and access to grow and contribute - and yes, feel safe doing so." —  Maria Ross

Episode References: 

• Listener Feedback! Please fill out the short survey here at https://bit.ly/edge-feedback
• HuffPost: Mark Zuckerberg Praises 'Masculine' Corporate Energy Amid Meta's DEI Policy Reversal
• Edie Falco Reads a Letter to White Supremacists
• Inc: The U.S. Economy May Be Too Strong for Its Own Good
• The Center for Public Integrity: New data shows why the U.S. needs more immigrants
• Advocate: Apple, Costco stand behind DEI programs
• HR Grapevine: 'Doubling down' | Costco ties its colours to the mast as attacks on DEI continue

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

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Threads: @redslicemaria

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