The Empathy Edge Maria Ross

We talk a lot about the importance of self-awareness and self-care in helping you be a more empathetic and effective leader. In fact, those are two of my five pillars in my book, The Empathy Dilemma because they are vital to being a more effective leader and human. You may think of the traditional modalities, but have you considered hypnosis?

Today, my guest is Amy Koford. We discuss how Amy got into this work, the power she's discovered in how hypnosis works, why it transforms lives, and she busts some myths about hypnosis. Amy talks about how trauma can show up, how to take traumatic memories and replace the associated emotions, how people show up as work based on who they are and what they've been through, and how you can embrace forgiveness through empathy to rise above past trauma. She'll share how you can show up as the leader and colleague you want to be.
 
To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com

Key Takeaways:
Everyone can be hypnotized, it may take different forms for some people, but it does not negate the potential benefits.Insecurities are a bigger deal than many realize. Many successful people are extremely insecure and those insecurities push them to prove themselves to others and fill the void of the insecurities, but still be in turmoil inside.A lack of empathy often causes many social misunderstandings and team dysfunctions, but the root of that is usually fear.

"People don't want to grow up to be a jerk or to be an annoying person at the workplace. That's just not what they really want to be…When we're in the workplace, it's important to understand that people are the way they are for reasons and very good reasons. And that helps you have empathy." —  Amy Koford

Episode References:
The Empathy Edge episodes on trauma:
Katharine Manning: How Trauma Impacts Performance – And What Smart Leaders Can Do
Charna Cassell: Recognizing And Regulating Trauma At Work – Yours And Others

About Amy Koford, the Happy Hypnotist & author of Hardwired to Rise
Amy, The Happy Hypnotist has been a professional hypnotist, public speaker, hypnosis show performer and more for several years to transform the lives of numerous people. She’s the creator of The Trauma Protocol which takes individuals from traumatized to optimized in just weeks. Amy is the author of, Hardwired to Rise: Eye-Opening Truths about How Fear Holds You Back, Causes Suffering - and How to Liberate Yourself to Have the Thriving Life You Deserve.

She has traveled the world to attend hypnosis conferences and has been trained, mentored, certified, and taught mastery skills from the top hypnotists on the planet. Amy specializes in happiness and peace with various techniques that are effective in helping people resolve and let go of the past and change their center to become positive, confident, empowered individuals who know their amazing abilities to live their best lives.

Connect with Amy:
Amy the Happy Hypnotist: amykoford.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amy-koford-012637184
Facebook: facebook.com/amythehappyhypnotist
Instagram: instagram.com/amythehappyhypnotist
Threads: threads.net/@amykoford
Book: Hardwired to Rise: Eye-Opening Truths about How Fear Holds You Back, Causes Suffering - and How to Liberate Yourself to Have the Thriving Life You Deserve

Join the community and discover what empathy can do for you: red-slice.com

PRE-SALE SPECIAL! Pre-order 1 to 99 copies of Maria's new book, The Empathy Dilemma for your leaders, exec team, (or yourself?!) and GET 30%! bit.ly/TEDSpecialPresale Offer ends August 27, 2024!

Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria

The book is coming! September 10 is the day that The Empathy Dilemma: How Successful Leaders Balance Performance, People, and Personal Boundaries hits shelves to help leaders dedicated to people-centered practices to get the best performance possible and balance the demands of the business with the needs of their people.

I am so excited to share this with you! For the next 5 months, I'll be devoting a Hot Take episode to one of the 5 core pillars of EFFECTIVE empathetic leaders, outlined in the book. Because the reality is that we want a more human-centered workplace culture. But we have to get actual work DONE!  You can do both, but only when you are able to show up fully and have the capacity to take in other perspectives without fear, stress, or defensiveness. So today we're diving into Pillar Three of the 5 Pillars - clarity. 

Clarity is the key to being an empathetic leader while also still holding people accountable. Learn more about why this is such an important pillar to creating an empathetic - and high-performing - culture.

Today, I share are five strategies to try to be more clear. More details, examples, and tactics to try can be found in The Empathy Dilemma, so don’t forget to snag your presale copy now!
 
To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 
 
Key Takeaways:
Five strategies (though not a comprehensive list) include: Revisit Purpose and ValuesClarify Roles and ExpectationsLink Clarity to AccountabilityTell People WhyAsk Better QuestionsLacking a reason why can create an empathy gap between leaders and the rest of the team. Even if they don’t like the reason, people want to know why they are being given tasks or goals. Without clarity, there is no accountability. People cannot be appropriately held to standards that they know nothing about. 
"Resentments build where misunderstandings thrive…Clarity helps people feel seen, heard, and valued, reduces the likelihood of conflict, and enables everyone to work together more effectively." —  Maria Ross

Join the community and discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com

PRE-SALE SPECIAL! Pre-order 1 to 99 copies of Maria's new book, The Empathy Dilemma for your leaders, exec team, (or yourself?!) and GET 30%! https://bit.ly/TEDSpecialPresale Offer ends August 27, 2024!
 
Connect with Maria: 
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria

The research is clear: investing in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging contributes to your bottom line. I hate to be so crass about a topic that should just be something we care about as humans connecting with other humans, but with all the recent backlash about diversity and equity initiatives, we have to get executive attention somehow.

Today, you will hear about what’s driving that backlash and how we can fight against it through empathy and understanding. And why quite frankly, exclusion is bad for business.

My guest is the charming Michael Bach. Michael shares how he got into this work, the stereotype of DEI practitioners, how to think about disability, the more dangerous role of apathy in fighting back against exclusion, the difference between diversity and inclusion, and he gives us a short primer on the Alphabet Soup of LGBTQ2+ initialism.
 
To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:
If you’re trying to create any change, you need to understand how the organization operates from the inside.Disability is not one thing - there are hundreds of disabilities under the umbrella term. It needs to be considered as a range, not just one form of accessibility.It is not a competition. If we’re creating safer environments for everyone, regardless of how they identify or what they need, it creates a safer more inclusive environment for everyone.There is a big difference between having diversity and being inclusive. The company is the soil that needs to be right for the seed of talent to thrive.  

"It's very difficult to quantify, but if you just look at it simply you can figure out that exclusion is just bad for business. And the reality is that most employers have figured that out." —  Michael Bach


About Michael Bach, CEO. IDEA Hub Consulting, IDEA thought leader

Michael Bach is an author, speaker and thought leader in inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA). He has worked globally in the IDEA field, including as the Deputy Chief Diversity Officer for KPMG International. He is the founder of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI), CCDI Consulting and Pride at Work Canada.

He is the author of the best-selling and award-winning books Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right and Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work.

In 2023, he was named as one of the 10 Most Influential DE&I Leaders Revamping The Future by CIO Views Magazine.

Connect with Michael:
IDEA Hub Consulting: michaelbach.com

Books:
Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right
Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work
New book: All About Yvie: Into the Oddity

X: twitter.com/themichaelbach
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/themichaelbach
Facebook: facebook.com/themichaelbach
Instagram: instagram.com/themichaelbach
Threads: threads.net/@themichaelbach

Join the community and discover what empathy can do for you: red-slice.com

PRE-SALE SPECIAL! Pre-order 1 to 99 copies of Maria's new book, The Empathy Dilemma for your leaders, exec team, (or yourself?!) and GET 30%! bit.ly/TEDSpecialPresale Offer ends August 27, 2024!

Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria

Post-pandemic leadership can be challenging. With the current market and increased expectations workers, leaders, and mid-level managers are squeezed, balancing the needs of the business with the demands of their people. This is why I'm excited to talk to a Chief People Officer of a global organization that is doing the work, navigating the journey, and experimenting with ways to better support their people.

Today, I talk with Jessica Swank about how her company's leaders are navigating the challenges and still taking care of themselves and their people. We discuss the importance of clarity and support when setting high expectations, and how transparency, communication, and listening are vital with hybrid and remote work experimentation. We discuss specific ways Box integrates values into their decisions and develops and enables their managers to be more successful. Whatever your culture, Jessica offers her best advice on where you can start supporting your leaders.

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at TheEmpathyEdge.com

Key Takeaways:
In your organization, you cannot be clear enough. Hold high expectations, but also give a clear understanding that you’ll be supporting your team and that you’re available for that support.Actions speak louder than words and other people notice. You continue to show your empathetic culture every time you talk about caring for each other and empathy in service and follow it up with actions.Setting boundaries is both self-care and empathetic. It gives you space to recharge and be more present in the difficult conversations that need to be had in business.Work-life balance is not real. You need to understand priorities and boundaries to ensure you’re healthy with your life in the season you’re in.It is a journey to understanding and managing the needs of your team. Be willing to take that journey and gather information from your employees on what is working and what is not.
"It's not just up to the business to say, ‘Here's what I need from you.’ It is incredibly valuable for every person to have that open dialogue with their managers, ask them when they need support, clarification, feedback, not just sitting back and waiting to be told, but also engaging in that dialogue." —  Jessica Swank

"It's all about juggling, and you're going to drop some balls, just make sure that the balls are going to bounce versus shatter." —  Jessica Swank

About Jessica Swank, Chief People Officer, Box
Jessica has a proven track record helping companies define and amplify their people and culture strategy (including diversity, talent development, employee experience, workforce planning, people analytics, and internal communications). She has been with Box since December 2018, and currently leads all People (HR), Belonging, Community (including Box.org), Places (workplace services and real estate), and Internal Communications. Prior to Box she led the People team at Blue Bottle Coffee, a high-growth global coffee company. Previously, Jessica led HR for Aruba, a fast-growing subsidiary of HPE, and spent ten years at HP/HPE in a variety of global HR roles. Her early career included executive search and recruiting for CEO's, CFO's and other key leadership positions.

Connect with Jessica Swank:
Box: box.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessica-venner-swank

Join the community and discover what empathy can do for you: red-slice.com

PRE-SALE SPECIAL! Pre-order 1 to 99 copies of Maria's new book, The Empathy Dilemma for your leaders, exec team, or yourself and GET 30%! bit.ly/TEDSpecialPresale Offer ends August 27, 2024!

Connect with Maria:
Get the podcast & book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria & her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria

Visiting snow leopards in their natural habitat or hanging with penguins in Antarctica is a life-changing way to engage with nature but it's not within the grasp of most people. So how can we leverage technology to offer that exposure and foster empathy for wildlife conservation? My guest today, Gautam Shah, figured out a way to combine his passion with entrepreneurship to connect people with wildlife in fun, unique ways. 

Today we talk about why public engagement with wildlife is so important, and how using games can be more effective than current conservation tactics. Gautam shares some very cool examples of work they've done with partners such as Adidas and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We talk about empathy vs. caring, how "behavior change" is not the primary goal of this work, and why many current conservation messages can derail efforts to engage everyday people by not having empathy for them. Toward the end, he candidly discusses the challenges entrepreneurs face to balance purpose with profit and the hard choices that one has to make to keep the organization alive and sustainable for the long haul. 
 
To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:
If everyone had the opportunity to sit with an endangered animal, how many people would it change in favor of the planet? Though that’s not possible, there are ways people can engage individually in the change. Compassion is empathy in action. Empathetic people don’t suffer from a lack of caring, but often from not knowing how to take action. Internet of Elephants is using modern, creative ways to engage people in the story of conservation and making the stories told by the data gathered on the animals personal. They are making the stories of these animals personal to the individual.  

"It's a holistic process of thinking about the person and understanding their life before you can have any opportunity to think that you can introduce empathy for animals that might be very, very far away." —  Gautam Shah

Episode References: 
FathomVerse: https://www.fathomverse.game/ 
About Gautam Shah, Founder, Internet of Elephants, National Geographic and TED fellow

Gautam is the founder of Internet of Elephants, a social enterprise that develops groundbreaking digital tools to engage people with wildlife. He believes that engaging the public with nature and its conservation is the most important thing we can do for the long-term health of the planet and that we need to find modern mediums to tell stories and foster that engagement. Video games are the defining media of our time, so Internet of Elephants tells nature and wildlife stories through thoughtful combinations of mobile games, augmented reality, and data visualizations that use GPS and other data gathered about animals and the planet. In doing so, they hope to catalyze whole new approaches to engaging the public with wildlife. Gautam is both a National Geographic and TED Fellow.

Connect with Gautam Shah:  
Internet of Elephants: http://internetofelephants.com 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/internetofelephants/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ioelephants 

Join the community and discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com

PRE-SALE SPECIAL! Pre-order 1 to 99 copies of Maria's new book, The Empathy Dilemma for your leaders, exec team, (or yourself?!) and GET 30%! https://bit.ly/TEDSpecialPresale Offer ends August 27, 2024!
 
Connect with Maria: 
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria

Self-care is more than just manis, pedis, and massages. It is vital to helping leaders embrace empathy while also making tough business decisions, holding people accountable, and setting high-performance standards. It matters because depleted leaders are ineffective leaders.
 
To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:
Empathy requires fertile soil to take root. If you’re stuck in self-preservation and not feeding your own soil, you won’t be able to meet others with curiosity and empathy.Use pillar one, Self-Awareness, to start taking better care of yourself so you have a greater capacity to look outward. Check out more about the book at TheEmpathyDilemma.com.  

"It can be tempting to shoulder additional burdens in the name of empathy, but, in the end, you are doing yourself and your team a disservice." —  Maria Ross
 
Episode References: 
Enjoy special pre-sale and launch bonuses: http://theempathydilemma.com/book-offersCheck out more about the book here: www.TheEmpathyDilemma.comSign up for the FREE Masterclass: The 4 Step Framework to Craft a Captivating Brand Story that Attracts Your Right-Fit Clients: https://bit.ly/4StepBrandStoryApril Hot Take: Why Empathy Starts with Self-Awareness: https://red-slice.com/the-empathy-edge/april-hot-take-why-empathy-starts-with-self-awareness 
Join the community and discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com

PRE-SALE SPECIAL! Pre-order 1 to 99 copies of Maria's new book, The Empathy Dilemma for your leaders, exec team, (or yourself?!) and GET 30%! https://bit.ly/TEDSpecialPresale Offer ends August 27, 2024!
 
Connect with Maria: 
Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com
Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
X: @redslice
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria