But now, those striving to be empathetic leaders and colleagues are experiencing the dark side: Taking on extra work, avoiding conflict, spending too much time on personal issues, or simply burning out from trying to balance concern for colleagues with the needs of the business.

How can we remain human-focused and still maintain high performance, set personal boundaries, and avoid burning out, without being treated like villains?

In this timely talk by empathy advocate, TEDx speaker, podcaster, and strategist, Maria Ross, author of The Empathy Edge, you’ll discover how empathy benefits your organization’s performance and why your perception of empathy might be false and leading you astray. You’ll also learn about 5 valuable pillars to being an empathetic and effective leader or colleague and how they will enable you to find success in the new world of work.

• DEFINE what empathy means in a work context and clarify confusing terminology. Bust common empathy myths that hold leaders back.
• DISCOVER how empathy helps you do good while doing well financially: Empathy is not just good for the world but it can be a competitive advantage. We’ll walk through the financial & organizational benefits of acting with empathy-and how you can persuade others in the organization to do the right thing.
• EXPLORE what empathy is – and more importantly, what it is NOT
• DISCOVER and PRACTICE the five pillars of effective empathy and how to balance people, performance, and personal boundaries.

Sexism. Ageism. Deep-seated, mind-clouding prejudices. Furious customers and failed business launches. Partnerships abandoned out of fear, projects destroyed by misunderstanding. Every problem that exists in the business world can be traced back to a single, common origin: Lack of empathy. When we are unwilling to place ourselves in someone else’s shoes-unwilling to talk, listen, or understand another point of view-we remain paralyzed. Instead of finding solutions, we repeat the same mistakes. This impacts our professional reputation, team’s productivity, customer’s experience and organization’s performance. 

It’s time for a new business paradigm. Learn how you can amplify empathy through your work and bring your organization along with you to create a better world. Empathy speaker Maria Ross reveals exactly how empathy makes leaders (and organizations) stronger and more sustainable, how it accelerates revenue and performance, and she offers five concrete ways to flex your empathy muscles for great success.

This is a great fit for hungry audiences clamoring to align their values with their work and heal the world, starting in the workplace. If your audience or team is struggling to do good while still doing WELL financially, this is the program to choose.

• Why empathy is a competitive advantage. We’ll walk through the financial and organizational benefits of empathy. 
• How to avoid the “empathy veneer.” There are three  levels your organization must address to truly act with empathy and walk your talk rather than simply play to good press. You’ll learn the crucial role you can play to kick this into motion.
• How to flex your empathy muscle. DIscover and practice actionable ways you and your organization can strengthen empathy to achieve radical success.

And poor people leaders will no longer be able to hide behind all the “doing” that AI can handle.

Empathy is not a luxury—it’s a strategic advantage. But many well-intentioned leaders today face The Empathy Dilemma: How do you show compassion for your people without sacrificing performance? How do you protect your own mental health while leading through change? And now, how do you lead a team that includes both humans and machines?

Join TEDx speaker, brand strategist, podcaster, and empathy advocate Maria Ross—author of The Empathy Edge and her new book The Empathy Dilemma: How Successful Leaders Balance Performance, People, and Personal Boundaries—for a compelling and timely keynote. Maria will share real-world examples and data that prove empathy is not the enemy of performance—it’s the engine of it. Drawing on her decades of experience and hundreds of interviews, she goes back to the basics of what empathy truly is, how it shows up at work, and why it’s the most future-ready skill a leader can have.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• What empathy is and what it is NOT so you can avoid the myths holding back your leadership potential and team’s performance
• Why empathy and emotional intelligence will be the most sought-after leadership skills in an AI-driven future
• The Five Pillars of Effective and Empathetic Leadership and how to apply them in hybrid, high-pressure, and fast-changing environments
• How to avoid the empathy burnout trap—and set boundaries while still leading with heart
• How to create a culture where empathy is a reciprocal value, not a one-way burden

Let’s reimagine compassionate leadership through a post-pandemic and AI-integrated lens. It’s time to lean into human-centered leadership

while

prioritizing performance, innovation, and well-being—so your organization and your people can thrive, together.

Join Maria Ross, author of The Empathy Edge: Harnessing the Value of Compassion as an Engine for Success, as she shares evidence and case studies underlining the importance of cultivating empathetic cultures in the business world. You’ll learn how empathy makes organizations stronger, discover what the next generation of talent is demanding in their workplace, and get actionable ways to create a more empathetic culture where your people can thrive.

This discussion will open your eyes to the value of empathetic culture on tangible business results, and help you begin cultivating that culture within your own workplace.

• How an empathetic culture leads to a market-conquering brand
• How to build a corporate culture that attracts top talent and boosts engagement
• Actionable ways to flex your empathy muscle as a leader, even if you don’t think this is your strength
• Strategies to create a more empathetic culture 
• How to avoid the “empathy veneer” so that you can genuinely walk your talk

Most organizations pay plenty of lip-service to “putting the customer first” and operating from a place of compassion, but far fewer actually deliver on this promise. In a world where companies prioritize shareholder returns over employee safety and profit over purpose, many people worry that empathy has abandoned the corporate world for good.

Fortunately, we have the power to turn that tide. Everyone from CEOs to programmers to middle managers can take steps to imbue their company culture, offerings, and customer interactions with genuine empathy. 

Frankly, today’s savvy customers are demanding it from the brands they choose.

Especially in the ever-evolving online sphere. In fact, doing business online and in social media demands that we be even more empathetic than ever before if we want to keep customers, gain market share, and thrive.

In this compelling talk, speaker, facilitator, and empathy advocate  Maria Ross—author of The Empathy Edge: Harnessing the Value of Compassion as an Engine for Success—will explore the value of compassion as a competitive advantage. Learn how you, as leaders and marketers, can amplify empathy through your work, create a more empathetic experience online, and bring your organizations along with you to create a better world. 

With fascinating stories from founders, change-makers, and brands we know and love, Ross reveals exactly how empathy is not just good for humankind, but actually makes brands stronger and more sustainable.

• Why empathy is great for business and how it gives you a brand edge over your competitors, resulting in fierce customer loyalty and smash-hit products and services
• How to avoid the “empathy veneer” so the public knows your brand is authentic and genuine, and you are not just cranking out publicity stunts
• Actionable ways to infuse empathy into your marketing, sales, and digital communications with customers, as well as colleagues and community so you can better engage and create a loyal brand tribe
• Ways to align your personal values with your work to achieve unimaginable success

Is it right to trick leaders into being more empathetic? 

Although we are currently experiencing an empathy deficit in our world, smart leaders and teams have found that compassion, creativity and cash flow co-exist in balanced harmony. Let’s Trojan Horse the skeptics into embracing empathy with actionable steps that transform them from the outside in. How? By showing people that empathy is not just good for society, it’s good for business. 

General directives to “be more empathetic” or “be kinder” don’t help anyone, but actionable steps do. How about we start flexing our empathy muscle in the place where we spend the bulk of our time: AT WORK. 

This keynote presents the business case to skeptics, encouraging them to embrace empathy and  transform from the outside in. It  inspires listeners to smash outdated success paradigms for a more hopeful and connected future.