“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.” – Mohsin Hamid
We believe empathy is one of the most important ingredients enabling effectiveness and so we connected with some amazing folks to ask them about the conditions that allowed them to develop into such empathic leaders.
Partice Smith
In 2003 my aunt suffered a stroke, so I moved from North Carolina to Connecticut to help my family with her health care needs. That journey allowed me to develop empathy for caretakers as well as patients who depend on others for activities of daily living skills. I am able to empathize, from both perspectives, the patient and caretaker. Although, I personally haven’t experienced any serious health challenges, but from my aunt’s perspective I’m sure it took a toll on her having to depend on others for bathing, dressing, and eating, etc. Read more>>
Jessica Zenteno
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Some conditions that allowed me to develop empathy include my upbringing as well as emancipating myself at the young age of 16. Through those experiences, as challenging as they were , I developed a bigger heart and awareness as the empath that I am. Those life lessons could turn anyone sour but they did the opposite for me. I learned gratitude and appreciation for what I did have. I also feel being the oldest sibling of 3 and now a mother has also shaped me into the person I am today. Read more>>
Echaka Agba
I’ve found that empathy is innate to my human experience. I’m an empath. This has taken a long time to really understand. We know that empathy is not sympathy. Empathy is actually holding the feelings and emotions of others. I’m susceptible to how others are feeling around me. And that can really mess with my sense of self and core values. So the development has been more of not allowing empathy to rule my thoughts, feelings and actions in all occasions. Read more>>
Malik Mayweather
Empathy often grows from personal experiences and challenges. For me, it stemmed from overcoming adversity, facing homelessness, navigating injuries in my athletic career, and leading teams during the pandemic. These experiences taught me resilience, shaped my understanding of others’ struggles, and deepened my empathy for those facing challenges. Read more>>
Beth Duke
It’s been said that fiction is an empathy engine. I find it true both as a reader and a writer; there is no more effective way to experience and understand others’ points of view. Of course, I am grateful to have grown up in a family in which it was important to help and comfort those less fortunate. That foundation enabled me to fully appreciate and develop empathy for those in all walks of life. Read more>>
Kisha Washington
Through my life, I have been through some really tough times. Suffering a miscarriage in 2009, losing a close friend randomly in 2017, losing my fiance in 2020 due to suicide, and suffering my own grief and depression for two years through covid. These are just a few things that had significant moments of shaping my empathy. Read more>>
Cheryl Anderson-Cermin
As a craniofacial orthodontist working with individuals born with congenital challenges walking beside the child and the family is extremely important. There are times this is heartbreaking, however more often there is hope and a promise for a bright outcome. It can be emotionally difficult to walk with these families through the pain of the initial diagnosis, but rewarding as the family gains the knowledge and information to move forward and conquer the challenges set before them. I am always amazed by the parent’s response when the treatment plan is presented which often involves intensive daily management and frequent appointments. Parents always say, “whatever it takes”. Read more>>
