The Empathy Edge October 2025 Hot Take: My Birthday Wish: More Empathy, Less Excuses
October is Maria’s birthday month—and her wish this year? More empathy and compassion in leadership. In this special solo episode, Maria shares why we must stop accepting toxic leadership as “normal,” and how you can turn the tide toward human-centered, high-performing workplaces.
Plus, she’s got a special birthday and holiday gift for you (and maybe one for her, too!): Buy The Empathy Dilemma in bulk for your clients or teams and get a free 30-minute virtual Author Fireside Chat if you order 50+ copies by Dec 31, 2025.
She also shares three powerful, practical actions any leader can take to be a more empathetic leader and increase engagement, performance, and accountability —and reminds you where to go for more inspiration, including her upcoming virtual leadership events and her Forbes column.
To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com and search by episode title.
Highlights:
- Maria’s 53rd birthday reflections: why empathy matters more than ever.
- The myth of “tough” leadership and what to replace it with.
- Her birthday/holiday book, discounted bulk order promotion, and how it benefits your team.
- Three actions leaders can take right now to model empathy.
- Details on Maria’s virtual Leadership Events.
- Where to find her latest Forbes articles.
"There’s clearly no more data I can show you. Now, it's a question of you deciding what kind of leader - and person - do YOU want to be?" — Maria Ross
Episode References:
- Buy The Empathy Dilemma in bulk at a discount: https://www.TheEmpathyDilemma.com. Buy 50 or more copies and contact me to get your free virtual Author Fireside Chat to guide discussion and enable action.
- Join an upcoming Leadership Event: https://red-slice.com/leadership-workshop
- Read Maria’s Forbes column: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mariaross
- Article on the 996 trend: https://www.wired.com/story/silicon-valley-china-996-work-schedule/
Sponsor Message: Keynote Speakers and Conference Trainers: Get your free Talkadot trial and enjoy this game changer for your speaking business! www.share.talkadot.com/mariaross
Connect with Maria:
Get Maria's books on empathy: Red-Slice.com/books
Learn more about Maria's work: Red-Slice.com
Hire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take the LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
Facebook: Red Slice
Threads: @redslicemaria
Keynote Speakers and Conference Trainers: Get your free Talkadot trial and enjoy this game changer for your speaking business! www.share.talkadot.com/mariaross
Get your copy of The Empathy Dilemma here- www.theempathydilemma.com