Notes on Resilience 130: Leaders With Heart, with Fran Benjamin
What happens when we acknowledge our full humanity in the workplace?
Fran Benjamin, Managing Partner at GoodWorks Consulting, delivers a masterclass in organizational transformation that challenges longstanding assumptions about leadership.
Fran offers a definition of compassion: "that moment in which one can no longer distinguish themselves from the other," and explores how this concept applies to modern organizational structures. Rather than viewing companies as collections of individual cogs, they advocate for seeing people as interconnected ecosystems where mutual benefit and reinforcement drive success.
The conversation takes a fascinating turn as Fran traces the evolution of leadership competencies through major historical events.
- During the Cold War, decisiveness reigned supreme.
- After 9/11, empathy emerged as crucial.
- The 2008 financial crisis elevated transparency.
- 2020's dual crises highlighted psychological safety.
Now, as we face what Fran calls the 2025 polycrisis, new leadership qualities are emerging: principled dissent (values-based courage), regenerative leadership, and coalition building.
For leaders hesitant to embrace compassion, there are tangible costs: increased employee attrition, legal liability, reduced market access, and diminished community impact. The antidote? Building systems that institutionalize compassionate leadership beyond individual personalities or initiatives.
Whether you're leading a Fortune 500 company or a community organization, this episode offers practical wisdom for creating more resilient, innovative, and human-centered workplaces. Join us to discover how acknowledging our full humanity (emotions, bodies, relationships and all) unlocks our collective potential.
Fran Benjamin (they/he/she) is the Managing Partner and Principal Consultant at Good Works Consulting, an organizational development, human capital consulting, and executive coaching firm. With 20 years of experience guiding organizational transformation and inclusive cultures, Fran has led global teams through 50+ successful engagements with clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. An MBA graduate from UCLA Anderson, Fran is also a certified Integral Coach, yoga instructor, and a somatics practitioner, blending professional rigor with creative and holistic approaches to leadership.
You can learn more about Fran on LinkedIn or email them at: fran@goodworks.consulting. Learn more about Good Works Consulting on the website: https://www.goodworks.consulting/
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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