Maria Ross emphasizes that true empathy is misunderstood, often confused with niceness or agreement, and instead should be about understanding and acting on others' perspectives.The Empathy Dilemma aims to support leaders in adapting to a post-pandemic world by balancing the needs of the business with those of their employees.

The conversation covers five foundational pillars of effective empathetic leadership: self-awareness, self-care, clarity, decisiveness, and creating joy at work. Ross also addresses myths about empathy, including the false notion that empathy is tied to gender. Leaders need to embrace empathy to increase engagement, innovation, and collaboration in today's complex work environment.

0:17 The Empathy Edge and Its Impact

01:20 The Empathy Dilemma: Addressing Leadership Challenges

04:10 Understanding Empathy: Myths and Realities

06:25 Empathy in Leadership: Practical Applications

07:23 Gender and Empathy in Leadership

19:12 The Five Pillars of Empathetic Leadership

24:07 Creating a Joyful Work Environment

31:19 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Maria Ross is a speaker, author, strategist, and empathy advocate. She has spoken in front of TED stages and at top conferences and companies, and she’s been featured in NPR, Entrepreneur, and Forbes. Her newly-released book, The Empathy Dilemma, is described as “refreshing” by Dan Pink and a powerful “balance of empathy and accountability” by Dorie Clark. Maria lives in Northern California where you may find her sipping red wine, doing CrossFit, or indulging in a British crime drama.

Here's where you can listen to her TedTalk.

Download a free chapter of The Empathy Dilemma here.

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