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The Empathy Edge

The Empathy Edge

By: Maria Ross
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Failed product launches. Furious customers. Dysfunctional teams. Many of the problems we face in the business world (and frankly, society) stem from the same root cause: Lack of empathy. Speaker, author, strategist, and empathy advocate Maria Ross shares keen insights and inspiring interviews that prove empathy and compassion are the new paths to market-winning performance. Leveraging both inspiring stories and hard data, Ross connects empathetic leadership, cultures and brands to innovation, engagement, and bottom-line results. You’ll walk away with actionable strategies to amplify your impact, and learn how compassionate business tactics can transform your organization from the inside out. The Empathy Edge podcast provides a quick dose of motivation, wisdom, and practical actions that executive leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers can use right now. Ready to infuse YOUR organization with more empathy? Tune in to learn why cash flow, creativity, and compassion are not mutually exclusive.

2020-2026 Maria Ross Economics Management Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Claude Silver: Be Yourself at Work for the Ultimate Leadership Advantage

    Claude Silver: Be Yourself at Work for the Ultimate Leadership Advantage
    Mar 17 2026
    Too many leaders are still trying to succeed by becoming someone they think they’re supposed to be—quieter, tougher, more polished, less human. And in the process, they’re leaving their greatest strengths at the door.My guest believes that’s exactly backward. Today, we welcome back Claude Silver to discuss her latest book, Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart. We explore what authentic presence really looks like at work, and why pretending to be a different kind of leader rarely gets better results. Claude and I unpack why many leaders have accountability backwards, why the more power you gain, the less truth you often hear, and how being open and emotionally present doesn’t weaken communication but rather prevents under-communicating with your team. Finally, Claude offers us a simple, actionable practice you can use right away to take a small step and rebuild trust and connection where it matters most.This is a conversation with one of my favorite humans on the planet about stopping the performance of leadership—and starting to lead from the strengths that made you worth hiring in the first place.To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com, search by episode title.Listen in for…The importance of bringing your unique perspective, talents, and humanity to your team.What authentic presence looks like at work.Protecting healthy boundaries with courage and kindness while still connecting with others.Signs your culture is thriving and how to get there. Why is the room with everyone in it smarter than any one person in that room?The reason actions say more than words ever will.The dangerous byproduct of silence."When a person is real, they are not carrying the burden or the weight of any other facade." — Claude SilverAbout Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer, VaynerX, and Author of Be Yourself at Work:Claude Silver is on a mission to revolutionize leadership, talent, and workplace culture. She is the world's first Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, partnering with CEO Gary Vaynerchuk to drive their success. Silver has earned Campaign US's Female Frontier Award and AdWeek's Changing the Game Award, and she electrifies audiences at national and international conferences, as well as at organizations including Meta, Google, US Government agencies, and the US Armed Forces. She has been interviewed on dozens of podcasts and featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. Silver lives in New Jersey with her wife and two young children. She is the author of Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart.Connect with Claude: Website: claudesilver.com VaynerX: beyourselfbook.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/casilver Instagram: instagram.com/claudesilver Book: Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart Connect with Maria:Get Maria's books: Red-Slice.com/booksHire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake the LinkedIn Learning Courses! Leading with Empathy and Balancing Empathy, Accountability, and Results as a Leader LinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaFacebook: Red SliceGet your copy of The Empathy Dilemma here- www.theempathydilemma.com
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    56 mins
  • Dr. Claire Yorke: Can Empathy Fix Broken Politics?

    Dr. Claire Yorke: Can Empathy Fix Broken Politics?
    Mar 10 2026
    It’s easy right now to believe that the divisions we see are simply too deep to repair. That empathy has become a liability. That listening has been replaced by winning.And yet, I still believe, perhaps more than ever, that empathy remains our greatest tool for healing even the most jagged fractures in our world, not as a naïve ideal, but as a courageous, strategic choice. And that choice has the power to transform entire systems.My guest today, Dr. Claire Yorke, has devoted her career to studying exactly that possibility.We explore what empathy in politics actually looks like, why empathy is essential for effective leadership, the challenges empathetic leaders face in polarized environments, and why we can’t simply wait for more empathetic political leaders to emerge.We also talk about hope. Not passive hope, but participatory hope. The kind that invites each of us - as citizens, leaders, and humans - to model empathy, practice deeper listening, and engage in shaping healthier political cultures, whether through community dialogue, civic participation, or simply choosing curiosity over certainty.This is a conversation about what’s possible when we choose empathy, not as an escape from reality, but as a path forward through it.To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com, search by episode title.Listen in for…The relationship military leaders have with empathy and their job.What it can look like to have empathy in our politics, regardless of country.The impact of citizen assemblies and civic engagement.Why do we need to change political culture so that it attracts and rewards politicians who embrace empathy and can stop battling?Maintaining an ideal vision of what’s possible and what to do to make it a reality.Steps that can be taken at the local and national levels to make changes."We need to change our politics. So it's much more about building relationships, building that sense of connectedness, both between politicians and the public, between citizens and their communities, and seeing this as an ecosystem." — Dr. Claire Yorke References:Book: Citizens: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us by Jon Alexander and Ariane ConradDemocracy NextThe Empathy Edge:Sam Daley-Harris: Reclaiming Our DemocracyMónica Guzmán: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Divided Political TimesDr. Gina Baleria: Empathy in Journalism and Today’s Media LandscapeElisa Camahort Page: The Art of Empathy in Politics, Activism, and Media BSJames Coan: Closing the Perception Gap that Tears Us ApartAbout Dr. Claire Yorke, Senior Lecturer at Deakin University, Author of Empathy in Politics and Leadership: The Key to Transforming our World:Dr. Claire Yorke is an author and academic. Her work focuses on the role of empathy and emotions in international affairs, politics, leadership, and society. She is a Senior Lecturer at the Australian War College, Deakin University, Canberra, where her research and teaching focus on these topics. In 2025, she published Empathy in Politics and Leadership: The Key to Transforming Our World with Yale University Press. She is writing two more.Claire received her PhD in International Relations from the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. She has a Master's in Middle East Politics from the University of Exeter, and a BA in Politics, International Relations and French from Lancaster University.Connect with Claire: Website: claireyorke.meLinkedIn: Dr Claire YorkeInstagram: @theempathydoctorBlueSky: @claireyorke.bsky.socialBook: Empathy in Politics and Leadership: The Key to Transforming our WorldConnect with Maria:Get Maria's books: Red-Slice.com/booksHire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake the LinkedIn Learning Courses! Leading with Empathy and Balancing Empathy, Accountability, and Results as a LeaderLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaFacebook: Red SliceGet your copy of The Empathy Dilemma here- www.theempathydilemma.com
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    45 mins
  • Joris Merks-Benjaminsen: Managing Without Power to Balance Humanity and Performance

    Joris Merks-Benjaminsen: Managing Without Power to Balance Humanity and Performance
    Mar 3 2026
    Balancing performance with human leadership can be tough for some leaders. The goal is to strike a healthy balance, while always remembering that taking thoughtful care of your people, recognizing their unique contributions, and creating an environment where they can thrive can lead to the stellar performance results you seek.But how would you lead if your title or position didn't give you any power?Joris Merks-Benjaminsen is a leadership trainer and the award-winning author of Managing Without Power. Joris shares his unique journey at Google, watching the culture and leadership he loved so much shift as his managers changed, and why he’s committed to helping companies capture that early magic and scale it as they grow. We discuss recognizing and respecting your power dynamic while also understanding that the title does not give you power, but consistent, intentional small behaviors will ensure your team will help you meet your goals. Joris shares how to balance people nd performance through the five basics of his interconnected, practical, holistic leadership approach. And he shares how to solicit and take in upward feedback to help you effectively support an employee's journey, ensure high performance, and make tough decisions when needed.To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com, search by episode title.Listen in for…How managers can shape microcultures and establish team norms.Upskilling leaders to avoid conventional traps and pitfalls.Providing ongoing support to learning, not just one-time training. The five basics of his interconnected, practical, holistic leadership approach.How to solicit and take in upward feedback to help effectively support an employee's journey, ensure high performance, and make tough decisions when needed.“The problem I see is this balance between human-focused and performance-focused leadership. I regularly meet leaders who think of them as opposites, but you need both of them in a certain balance...in order to create a high-performing team and organization." — Joris Merks-BenjaminsenEpisode References: Joris’ Book: Managing Without Power: Creating high-performance teams and organizations in your own human wayHow Google Works by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan RosenbergGoogle re: Work - Guides: Give feedback to managers https://share.google/nhB0hREQOztuqQwOVAbout Joris Merks-Benjaminsen, Leadership Trainer, Author of Managing Without Power:Joris Merks-Benjaminsen is a leadership trainer and the award-winning author of Managing Without Power. Joris had a leading role in Google's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives, and was one of the highest-scoring managers in the company's history. Today, he trains managers and leaders to help find the right balance between humaneness and performance pressure.Connect with Joris: Managing Without Power: www.managingwithoutpower.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joris-merks-benjaminsen-5673384/Connect with Maria:Get Maria's books: Red-Slice.com/booksHire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake the LinkedIn Learning Courses! Leading with Empathy and Balancing Empathy, Accountability, and Results as a Leader LinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaFacebook: Red SliceGet your copy of The Empathy Dilemma here- www.theempathydilemma.com
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    48 mins
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