“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus for creating change.” – Max Carver

We think Max Carver got it right and that if we truly care about community building and making positive changes in the world, we have to invest in learning about how to become even more empathic as empathy is at the heart of true understanding. We asked some deeply empathic leaders to share their perspectives below.

Camille Cabrera

I like to consider myself a reader first and an author second. As a reader, I spend countless hours experiencing the perspectives of strangers. Reading fiction expands my empathy while connecting me to people I don’t even know. It’s an excellent exercise in navigating alternative experiences.

I now apply my learned empathy to real-world situations. In such a technologically-focused world, it’s easy to accept disconnect as the norm. I’ve found it’s necessary to actively combat trained passivity with learned empathy. Confronting passive behavioral patterns (using empathy), allows me to actively navigate in the bigger picture.
Read More>>

AB Brown

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced personally is living with lupus. It’s an invisible illness, and it often comes with a lot of physical fatigue and emotional weight. But instead of letting it hold me back, I’ve let it teach me. Lupus helped me develop a deep sense of empathy—not just as a assistant, but as a human being.

It taught me how to slow down, listen more, and lead with compassion. I’ve learned how to show up for others even when I’m dealing with my own pain. That’s made me more intentional in how I serve grieving families, and more grounded in how I support the artists I work with. Lupus gave me the ability to understand people on a deeper level, and that’s something I bring into every space I enter. Read More>>

Diana Morgan

I’ve always had an innate ability to relate to others. I can usually understand what they feel and think, and understand their point of view. I think it comes from growing up neurodivergent and often being misunderstood. I was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age, but a lot was unknown about how the condition affected girls. My interests were very different from those of my peers, and adults didn’t know how to handle me. I struggled with social skills and had difficulty learning how to interact with people. I hate the idea of being misunderstood. I recently discovered I am autistic as well, which has given me even more insight into how I communicate and connect with people. I try to understand how they feel and why they think the way they do, and approach with compassion.
Read More>>

Dionisio Burgos

My empathy was shaped in the shadows through loss, failure, and moments when I felt like I had nothing left. But it was in those places that I encountered Jesus. He met me when I was broken, not whole, and showed me grace I didn’t deserve. That grace softened my heart. Read More>>

Julie Hatch

I have worked with sick kids for most of my professional life – in pediatric and neonatal intensive care. Through the many times I witnessed a child in pain, or feeling sad or lonely missing their parents, my empathy grew. My desire to reach out and help them was with me every day of my job. As a pediatric nurse practitioner, I knew how to help them medically, but empathy was something they didn’t teach in school. Empathy has always been a part of my inner world. The kids I cared for brought out the most empathic part of me. Read More>>