“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.
Emily Haydel
Once I started feeling more in life past my career, that was when I began to feel empathy, and of course, moving to different places, whether it be Michigan, NYC, LA, or Korea, especially Korea. I always thought I was an open-minded person, but moving to Korea made me realize I knew nothing and had more room to grow. Read more>>
Stephany Campos
From an early age I felt somewhat out of place. Perhaps it stemmed from being a child born to immigrant parents and learning English as a second language. I was raised to be reserved and modest in accordance with my culture, which I later discovered can come across as serious and standoffish. Read more>>
Alex Simmons
Empathy has been rooted in my family since I was a child. My parents were two people who have always served their families and communities. My mother became a CNA after working for most of her life in plants. I watched her bathe and feed individuals who could not do it themselves. Read more>>
Malona Matthews
To have the ability to empathize with others, you absolutely need to able to put yourself in the place in which they are struggling. We all wear so many hats in this life, and have to play so many parts, there are bound to be days that we struggle with the weight of it all! Read more>>
Jacob Kleinman Phillips
Growing up, my childhood didn’t necessarily look like anyone else’s. I grew up with two moms, a twin sister, and a grandmom all in the same household. It was a household of ALL woman in a world that was different than your normal mom and dad family. And in it, I was the minority. Read more>>
Brad James
When I read this question, it instantly clicked with me. Very interesting story….. When I was Born in 1963, I was 2 months premature. I was very small and had several contributing factors for Cerebral Palsy. I had numerous blood transfusions and was in the Hospital for several months and underwent many medical procedures. Read more>>
Hootan Zandifar
I have developed a strong sense of empathy, which I attribute to my mother. Throughout my childhood, she consistently demonstrated love and compassion towards me and my brother. She encouraged us to show care and compassion towards others, especially those who are less fortunate than us. Read more>>
Anthony Martinez Beven
I think empathy comes from experiencing what others experience. You have to go through something to be able to relate to what others are going through. I think empathy started for me as a baby. I learned the struggle of health early. At 10 months old, I had a vaccine intolerance. Read more>>
Chanin Hale
As I have been growing into myself, I have learned that I want the word “empathetic” to come to mind when others think of me. Although I am young, I feel I have had many experiences where others did not extend kindness or compassion towards me when I needed it the most–and I never want anyone else to feel that way while in my company. Read more>>
