From Toxic Culture to Empathic Leadership: How Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller Turned Pain into Purpose

My guest for Episode #329 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller, a TEDx speaker, empathy and leadership expert, and author of The Empathic Leader: How EQ via Empathy Transforms Leadership for Better Profit, Productivity, and Innovation.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more

Melissa shares the story of her “favorite mistake” — leaving her music and academic career after experiencing a toxic culture and institutional failure to protect her following an assault by a colleague. What began as heartbreak became the foundation for her life’s work: helping leaders build empathy, trust, and psychologically safe workplaces.

We discuss how empathy differs from sympathy and compassion, and why leaders often misunderstand empathy as weakness. Melissa explains why true empathy isn’t about being nice—it’s about being kind—and how self-empathy is the first step toward leading others effectively.

Her framework for self-empathy includes observing, reflecting, building awareness, and practicing compassion toward oneself. That self-understanding helps leaders respond constructively when mistakes happen—creating cultures where learning and accountability can thrive.

“Empathy isn’t soft. It’s kind.”

“Empathy doesn’t mean no boundaries—it means understanding through another’s perspective.”

Melissa also discusses findings from her doctoral research in interdisciplinary leadership at Creighton University and her viral TEDx Talk on self-empathy and self-judgment, which has drawn tens of thousands of views within days of release.