Empathy Is Not A Weakness: And Other Stories from The Edge

What makes a great leader? Often, it's our worst leaders and toxic leadership behaviors that teach us the most about creating better leadership experiences for others. In this enlightening book, Loren Sanders reveals the seven key practices essential for gaining empathy and motivating others. Companies in which people feel seen, heard, and supported tend to be far more successful than those whose employees are disengaged and constantly under stress. With honesty and humility, Sanders describes how she came to recognize her own shortcomings as a leader and face hard truths head-on. She takes us on her journey of self-awareness, sharing vital lessons about listening, gaining perspective, and building trust. With real stories of real people who overcame tough situations at work, Sanders shows how leaders can provide positive and meaningful feedback. Each chapter ends with key takeaways that you can try today to enhance your leadership skills and transform your company's culture, whether you're a seasoned leader or new to a management role. Accomplishing business goals and caring for people are not mutually exclusive. Empathy is one of the best leadership skills and emotional intelligence traits, and great leaders are willing to share their emotions and feelings with others, and allow them to share theirs. When you're a champion for your team, raise them up, believe them, and believe in them, you empower them to perform their best.

About the Author :
Loren Sanders is a professional synergist with a passion for enhancing corporate culture, building collaborative relationships, and coaching individuals to successful outcomes. She thrives in settings where she can align people's talents and passions while isolating opportunities for growth. Sanders enjoys guiding people to realizations and creating action plans for change. She has spoken at Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) events, Training Industry events, and has been featured on podcasts. Holding a bachelor's degree in community health from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and an MBA in organizational behavior from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, Sanders teaches part time in the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management MBA program and works full time at CVS Health in Enterprise Learning, Development and Performance. She lives in rural Iowa, where she can hike in the backyard with her two enormous German Shepherds, and is married to her high school sweetheart, whom she met when they were in a rock band in high school. She is still fangirling over the bass player.

Review :
I met Loren over 5 years ago through our involvement in the HR and teaching community. From the first interaction, I felt as though Loren and I had known each other for years. We connected because of our passion for human resources and our desire to understand and empathize with others. Following in Loren's footsteps as a leader in a volunteer organization, I valued her insights and advice. She was always there to support me and listened wholeheartedly to issues that arose. She accepted new ideas brought forth and embraced change. Loren's natural tendency to show empathy and compassion shines through in all that she does. This book will help you gain perspective when interacting with others. Whether in the workplace or your personal life, you will understand how to make empathy your superpower. Empathy allows you to form deeper relationships and be a better team member and partner. You will learn how not to experience the difficult situations Loren went through earlier in her career. This book is worth the read and provides practical tips on how to live and lead with empathy. -Jodi Coplan, MS, SPHR, SCP, Head of Human Resources, Capgemini Invent North America The existential crisis we live in today necessitates a more empathetic leadership style. The challenge I've seen is how to blend empathy with setting clear expectations and holding people accountable. Loren Sanders breaks down into clear, practical, and actionable steps how to develop greater empathy for others. What's most refreshing is she does it by sharing stories of how she first learned these lessons-by failing, staying curious, being able to self-reflect, and committing to lifelong learning. This is the path for deep personal growth for all of us and now we have a roadmap that can help us build a very critical skill we need more and more these days. -Laila Tarraf, Author, Strong Like Water, former Chief People Officer, Allbirds It's estimated that less than half of leaders regularly access empathy. In the general population, I would expect that number to be even lower. Empathy is Not a Weakness will help us address this systemic problem. Loren starts the book off with a vulnerable story about one of her direct reports resigning. She is soon blindsided and realizes that her own lack of empathy is destroying relationships. Loren then presents other scenarios, stories, and practices that will help us further understand and access empathy on a regular basis, so we don't make the same mistakes that she did. -LaTonya Wilkins, Author, Leading Below the Surface, Founder and CEO, Change Coaches