“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.
Catherine Griffin
Growing up with farm animals and horses laid a foundation for empathy and compassion. Empathy and compassion are similar in that they each relate to understanding someone’s feelings or perspective. Empathy is the ability to reflect that perspective back to the person, to truly understand how they feel and even imagine yourself in their place. Compassion is concern for someone’s misfortunes or sufferings and wanting to do something to relieve or help them. It may seem odd that I attest my empathy and compassion to a life growing up with animals. Read More>>
Valerie Fox
My Mother was born into very poor conditions in West Virginia. She was a single mother to my oldest sibling and quiet young when her and my aunt decided to pack up their young children and move to Texas. That is where she meet and feel in love with my Father. I was born just a short time later. Read More>>
DJ Matt Perry
Growing up in the country and being surrounded by trees, bugs, and wild animals and rivers ~ the forest teaches you to have empathy. All the creatures, large and small are critical to the success of the forest ~ everyone has an important part to play! Read More>>
Brittany Thompson
The misunderstanding that lies underneath the glamour of social media is the assumption that online success consistently equals real-life success- and it’s a dangerous one. I am fortunate that I have been able to climb the ladder of success here in Kansas City, but that hasn’t been without equal suffering. Throughout my career journey thus far, I have experienced bouts of success and poverty synonymously. Celebration and hardship have walked with me side-by-side, and I truly believe that God purposely had me walk the path in that way. Read More>>
jessica priest
Empathy is such an important skill to have as a photographer. Practicing empathy, in my opinion, probably helps any human to be better at every aspect of their life; work, home, etc. Photography is such a personal service. You are up close with a client and asking them to be vulnerable by placing them in front of the camera. If you can not understand their comfort level and what you can do to support them to be their best, the images will be negatively impacted by the photographer’s lack of empathy. If you can practice empathy and be there for your client, in whatever ways that they need you as a photographer, the images will naturally be more genuine and authentic. Read More>>
Kyndal Moss
Growing up my mother battled with mental illness and substance disorder. I watched how people repeatedly judged her and isolated her because of her issues, including myself at one point. It wasn’t until I began working for a mental health agency and understanding the challenges that people were going through that I began to have really have empathy for her trauma. It made me take a hard look at my life and what I had experience during my hurt and pain and never wished what I expressed on others. Read More>>
Caitlin Eyk
As a teenager I struggled deeply with my mental health. This was in part because being a teenager is rough but also because of chemical imbalances, hormones, and a sprinkling of trauma. I took the road less traveled to get where I am today. On that road I crossed paths with people from all walks of life and have seen first hand that through our humanity we all have some basic things in common. Read More>>
Demi Howell
The conditions that allowed me to develop empathy was my ability to look within. Empathy, which I believe, there’s a lack of, is what we need the most. Human nature, human error allowed me to develop empathy. The ability to let my ego dissipate is what allowed me to develop empathy. My losses, disappointments, and failures is what allowed me to develop empathy. I had to understand that people are human. And humans make mistakes just like me. I am them and they are me. I had to learn to stop judging others without looking at my own story. Without empathy, the world is a cold cold place. Read More>>
Tsanonda Edwards
Amazing question… It was well after one of my visits to my therapist, Akiami McCoy, but on particular session/conversation we had was the absolute foundation of my development of empathy. After I shared my feelings of just floating through life with some direction, but without feeling real control she introduced to me the idea of having a voice. Having a voice is more than speaking verbally, but it’s a feeling of comfort and confidence that allows and invites freedom of thought and expression along with the expectation of being heard. Read More>>
