“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.
Mary Amor
At seventeen, I was fortunate to participate on an incredible photo expedition trip to Southeast Asia with National Geographic’s Steve McCurry. Exploring a different world and meeting people from diverse backgrounds seriously awakened me. The contrast was striking; those I encountered exuded immense happiness, unlike the materialistic culture I knew back home in Orange County, California. Read More>>
Jodie Leschuk
First, it was instilled early on in life by my parents to be relational and to meet people where they are. My father was a minister in Midwest and frequently visited members of the congregation, often with the whole family in tow. We were exposed early on to the fact that life is not always easy and people come from all walks of life. Listening and letting them share not only their successes but their pain was an important part of life. Being in hospitals with someone with serious health issues, or being with someone when they pass away leaves and impression on you. Just being there is sometimes all someone needs. Read More>>
Tami Lysher
Developing empathy is a beautiful journey that can help us build deeper connections with others. It’s all about understanding and embracing the feelings, thoughts, and perspectives of those around us. Here are some gentle steps I used to nurture empathy. Read More>>
Erin Cary
During my previous career as an engineer, I found myself in a position where I was making a substantial income, yet I couldn’t shake this underlying feeling of uncertainty. The financial advice I received was standard, basic, and lacked any real meaning to me personally. This paradox of having financial abundance but feeling unfulfilled is the very situation many people can find themselves in. There is a certain frustration that arises when having ample resources but lacking fulfillment because you haven’t aligned these resources with your true purpose and values. Read More>>
Morgayne Summer
Empathy; it sounds a lot like empty. That’s exactly where I was before I truly knew the conditions to grow an empathetic nature.
As children, we are pretty unaware of the threads that connect all of us in this societal web we later become a part of in order to serve an endless cycle of eat, work, sleep. Read More>>
Rachel Johnson
Empathy is something that few people have. I honestly have not met many individuals who truly empathize with others. My journey has truly been just that, a journey, with many obstacles and struggles along the way. Pain is truly the way to empathy, but that’s only one part to the equation, the other part is humility and recognizing that everyone has battles that they’re facing behind closed doors. Everything can look outwardly in order, but on the inside, relationships, work, circumstances are facing every individual and shape our lives either for good or bad, but we decide. Read More>>
LaTonya Winfrey
Empathy. The capacity to understand and share the feelings of another. To place oneself in another’s position. I did not know how much that characteristic would come in handy until my son was diagnosed with Autism, It affected his speech, his ability to communicate with others. Somehow, though, we had our own language. He could make it clear for me whether that involved repeating words he already knew, pointing, gestures, and facial expressions. Read More>>
ANGELA MARTINEZ ALVARADO
I developed empathy in a way that I would not wish on anyone but would not change for the world. Learning that I was adopted has shaped me since I can remember – I was about 4 years old when I learned this fact about myself. It wasn’t news I took well and I still recall that day and how sad I felt. I later learned that adopted children grieve the loss of their biological mother but don’t know that is what it is and feel an emptiness and longing for many years to come. Read More>>
