Women's Leadership Connection - Empathy is Not a Weakness: The Boldness of Leading with Compassion

Description

This series, designed especially with women in mind, is being hosted by the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development. Each month, we gather for a time of powerful networking, a motivational "TED-type" talk, as well as a chance to learn more about our community. We look forward to having you join us!

Empathy Is Not a Weakness: The Boldness of Leading with Compassion
In fast-moving, high-pressure environments, empathy can feel like a liability. Some work cultures treat empathy as a sign of weakness. The fact is, according to researchers and organizational experts, empathy is among the most important qualities of effective leaders.
So, what if we treated empathy as what it is: one of the boldest, most strategic tools a leader can use?
This session is built around some surprising stories from a women’s leadership program in East Africa, where women are leading in the midst of severe economic and political crises. They lead, not with command-and-control tactics, but with presence, connection, and compassion.
Through stories and reflection, we’ll explore how empathy (with boundaries!) builds trust and diffuses tension. We’ll explore how empathy fuels impact. And all of that even in the hardest situations.
You’ll leave with practical tools for integrating empathy into your leadership, whether you’re navigating conflict, supervising others, or making tough calls.

Meet our speaker:

As a leadership coach, Mary Henton helps early- and mid-career professionals navigate changes and challenges of new roles and responsibilities. Mary is also Executive Director of Impact Now, a U.S.-based for-impact organization that partners with professional women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to design and deliver Nyota, a leadership development program for female professionals in DRC.