“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.
Xyl Lasersohn
I think about empathy a lot. The ability to put one’s self in another’s shoes. Like a lot of aspects related to art, it is not something that can really be measured. It can be gauged surely, but that falls into the opinion of the one doing the gauging, whether that is themselves or someone else. I see art as an exercise in empathy or at least trying to evoke it from the viewer. Read more>>
Andrea Vines
Born in the late ’90s in Atlanta to Alabama natives, I grew up with big dreams and an enduring spirit. My journey is rooted in a life filled with supportive parents, personal challenges, and transformative experiences. From a young age, my parents nurtured my dreams. Their love and encouragement were the bedrock of my confidence. Read more>>
Heather Mellott
Growing up in a broken home with abuse, substances, and little hop, I experienced firsthand the pain and suffering that many endure in silence. These early experiences shaped my understanding of empathy, allowing me to deeply connect with others who are hurting. My faith has been a crucial part of this journey, providing me with hope, healing, peace, and a sense of purpose. Read more>>
Kelly McCready
I think this is a tough question. The more family-friendly version is that I developed empathy by traveling the world. I lived in England, Cuba, Germany, Spain, Guam, Australia, and the US all by the age of 18. And seeing people from around the world and the different ways people live was really eye-opening. My world felt very large and expansive, and I loved hearing about the experiences of others. Read more>>
Emefa Boamah
My life has been a combination of wild and sometimes unbelievable moments – from growing up in Ghana’s lush landscapes, sprinkled with some trauma and poverty and witnessing the strength of my mother and grandmother, to navigating the busy-ness of the United States. All of which embedded empathy into who I am today. Read more>>
TONY GALBREATH
Before I knew what empathy meant, my parents first introduced me to sympathy as a child. They consistently showed me the value of understanding and caring for others, which sowed the seeds of empathy and taught me to consider others’ perspectives. As I navigated through life, especially in my professional life, I made mistakes that helped me realize the crucial difference between empathy and sympathy. Read more>>
Megan Powell
In this article, Megan’s journey in relationships is narrated in the style of an interview Q&A. It takes place in the author’s mind during personal reflection, as might occur in daily journaling or quiet time. The dialogue unfolds like a mental podcast or inner radio show. Read more>>
D, Kelvon (Kelzlison) Smith
Yo, lemme drop some real talk on ya. The conditions that allowed me to develop empathy? Was not easy. first off, it’s about being real with yourself, feeling what others feel, walking in their shoes, you know? It ain’t always easy, but it’s about recognizing that we’re all in this crazy journey called life together. Read more>>
Dolly Cee
I developed my empathy at a very young age. Growing up in a chaotic family life, definitely played a big role in shaping me. I also believe this was always part of God’s plan for me. Being empathetic has helped me, help others in more ways than one. We’re all presented with opportunities in life where we can show empathy & compassion towards others. Read more>>
Giselle Baumet
I grew up experiencing deep-rooted traumas. For most of my life, I would fall into darkness and struggle to find lasting happiness. I was stuck in my trauma and had a victim mentality, which made me feel trapped and unsure of how to get out. Read more>>
Sarah Tadlock
As a therapist, I have the honor of sitting with people in their story, the mess, pain, and the beauty. What I learned through the last twelve years of working with people is that we often want a quick fix to our pain. We want a solution or an answer. Sometimes, it’s appropriate to provide that solution, but it also robs you of being with people. Read more>>
Nathan Thornhill
The front door to my childhood home in the culturally homogenous, tight-knit community of Xenia, Ohio served as a portal into an alternate universe. My Afro Puerto-Rican mother, who was raised in New York City, generally spoke English unless she was excited or speaking to her immediate family in Spanish. Read more>>
Sam Horowitz
If I could boil down my practice, personal and professional, into just one word, that word would be empathy. In my understanding of it, empathy is more than just sharing the pain of another person. It’s more than walking a mile in another’s shoes, and more than understanding a different point of view. In her seminal work “Staying With the Trouble,” Read more>>
Jiayan He
First of all, I want to thank my film professor Matia Karrell, who helped me to confirm that empathy is not sympathy. It may be because I loved watching anime when I was a child. I learned many truths from anime, such as people should learn to think from other people’s perspectives. Read more>>
Melinda Edwards, MD
My empathy for others was born out of my own trauma and pain. In my experience with myself and with my patients, true compassion for others springs forth only when we have met those aspects in ourselves that we see in another. I grew up a child of missionary doctors in a Mayan Indian village in Guatemala, with terror a constant companion. Read more>>
