Most leaders agree that empathy matters. Putting it into practice can be harder especially when people disagree, performance falls short, or a difficult decision needs to be made.
In this episode, Dr. Kristine Gentry and Monica M. Smith sit down with Rob Volpe, author of Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time, to explore how empathy becomes a practical leadership skill.
From the frozen vegetable aisle of a Walmart to conversations about workplace accountability, Rob shares how curiosity about people’s lives shaped his work and how leaders can bring that same curiosity to their teams.
What we explore:
Rob’s Five Steps to Empathy
Rob explains that these steps are a practice to develop, rather than a rigid sequence. Different situations reveal different barriers.
Episode chapters
00:01 — Welcome and introducing Rob Volpe
02:09 — What consumer research taught Rob about empathy
06:41 — Why “empathy activist”?
12:03 — Cognitive and emotional empathy explained
17:14 — The Five Steps to Empathy
19:42 — The ice cream game: Finding common ground
23:35 — Modeling empathy and establishing team ground rules
27:38 — Difficult feedback, accountability, and dignity
30:23 — Developing people in a workplace shaped by AI
36:05 — Building an organizational empathy ecosystem
39:20 — What gets in the way of connection?
44:16 — How do you want to be remembered as a leader?
46:07 — Rob’s book and where to connect
About our guest
Rob Volpe is an empathy activist, speaker, trainer, and coach who helps people and organizations strengthen connection and understanding. He founded the insights firm Ignite 360.
Connect with Rob and explore his work
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