Notes on Resilience 124: Your Leadership Superpower Isn't What You Think It Is, with Melissa Robinson-Winemiller
What makes the difference between leaders who inspire innovation and those whose teams merely go through the motions? The answer might surprise you.
Melissa Robinson-Winemiller, author, speaker, and leadership coach, reveals that empathy—far from being soft or unnecessary—actually requires tremendous courage and drives measurable business results. In this fascinating conversation, she unveils that there are actually 43 different types of empathy across eight categories, challenging our simplified understanding of what it means to truly connect with others.
"Empathy is what you feel, compassion is what you do," Melissa explains, offering a crucial distinction that many leaders miss. Without first understanding what people actually need, even well-intentioned actions can completely backfire, like the infamous pizza party solution to burnout that leaves many employees feeling more disconnected than ever.
The business case is compelling: Ernst & Young studies show organizations leading with authentic empathy see 87% higher productivity, 86% greater innovation, and 82% increased profit. Insincere attempts at empathy produced worse results than no empathy at all.
As technology and AI continue transforming how we work, Melissa argues that genuine human connection becomes more valuable, not less. "Organizations either evolve or become obsolete," she warns. "What they're risking is becoming obsolete as managers... they're not going to be the innovators."
For leaders feeling overwhelmed, Melissa offers a surprising starting point: self-empathy. Many achieve leadership positions through technical excellence rather than people skills, then struggle to connect authentically with teams. By first understanding themselves, leaders build the foundation for extending empathy to others.
Whether you're a seasoned executive or aspiring leader, this episode provides both the practical framework and compelling business case for leading with genuine empathy in an increasingly technological world.
Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller is an author, speaker and leadership coach who has conducted in-depth research into the use of empathy in leadership. She is on a mission to change the world of communication for the good of humanity.
Learn more about Melissa and her work on her website, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Go to https://betterhelp.com/resilience or click Notes on Resilience during sign up for 10% off your first month of therapy with my sponsor BetterHelp.
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Producer / Editor: Neel Panji
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