Be Bold with Joseph Cope | Turning Empathy from Buzzword to Leadership Breakthrough

Welcome back to the Corporate Cliché podcast!
Join Jess and Jen as they dive into the realities of corporate life through relatable and unfiltered watercooler conversations.

In this episode, we’re continuing our Be Bold series with a powerful conversation on empathy in leadership. We’re joined by Joseph Cope, a former award-winning educator turned keynote speaker and workshop facilitator—better known as The Empathy Guy. Joseph helps corporate leaders embrace fierce empathy, challenging traditional leadership models with a bold blend of humor, vulnerability, and truth.

🎙️ Whether you’re a manager, people leader, or aspiring changemaker, this episode will reshape how you think about connection, accountability, and corporate culture.

🔥 Episode Highlights:

✅ Redefining Empathy as a Skill, Not a Soft Trait
Joseph challenges the outdated notion that empathy is just a "nice-to-have" and shares why it's a strategic skill every leader needs.

✅ Self-Empathy is Step One
Why leaders must first show empathy toward themselves in order to model it for their teams.

✅ How to Build Empathy on Purpose
Actionable strategies leaders can use to develop empathy in daily interactions and decision-making.

✅ Balancing Empathy and Accountability
Empathy doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations—Joseph explains how the best leaders do both.

✅ The ROI of Empathy in Corporate Culture
From retention to team performance, learn how empathy impacts the bottom line—and how to start measuring it.

🛠️ Practical Takeaways:

💡 Shift your mindset—Empathy is a leadership multiplier, not an emotional liability.
🗣️ Start with listening—Genuine empathy begins with being present and curious.
📈 Build metrics—Explore ways to assess empathy’s impact on team morale and effectiveness.
🧠 Stay future-focused—Empathy will only grow in importance as new generations reshape workplace norms.

 

💬 Key Takeaways:

Empathy isn’t about being agreeable—it’s about being aware.
Leadership needs fewer scripts and more sincerity.
You don’t have to sacrifice accountability to be an empathetic leader.

Connect with Joseph:

Instagram - @the.empathy.guy

LinkedIn - Joseph Cope, M. Ed. - The Empathy Guy 

Website - https://empathyguy.com/