The Tangible Benefits of Creating an Empathetic Culture with Erika Sinner | Episode 167

Introduction In this episode we are exploring the tangible outcomes and benefits of creating an empathetic work culture with Erika Sinner.Erika Sinner isn’t just the CEO of Directorie; she's a catalyst for change in the realm of empathy at work. Her background, rooted in humble beginnings and marked by hard work, instilled in her the grit and tenacity that propelled her to entrepreneurial success.She founded Directorie, a company dedicated to supporting small-to-medium-size life science organisations in delivering essential medications to patients who need them most.In this episode, she shares some of her most powerful lessons. Episode Highlights The True Impact of Unemphatic Leadership. Leadership Tips for Building a High-Performing, Empathetic Culture. Does What Gets Measured Really Get Done? The Important Distinction Between Empathy and Compassion. Compassionate Policies and Being Taken Advantage Of. Chapter Makers(03:03) Erika’s most memorable leadership lesson (07:28) The importance of empathy in leadership (10:46) The impact of unempathetic leadership (12:34) How not to handle redundancies (19:08) Leadership tips for building an empathetic culture (22:12) Engaging those resistant to change (25:24) Is it enough to lead by example? (27:36) Does what gets measured get done? (29:19) Does empathy help you hit the numbers? (30:13) The important difference between empathy and compassion (36:54) Ben’s uncomfortable realisation about compassionate policies and pet bereavement (41:43) Creating policies for the positive majority instead of the negative minority (44:35) The best mistake Erika ever made Book Ben to Speak at Your Next Event If you want your leaders to deliver incredible results and for your people to look forward to coming to work on Monday morning, book me to speak at your next event on ‘Why Connection Is the True Currency of Leadership’. Find out more here. Further Resources If You Loved This Episode Check out episode 52 with Debbie Cohen & Kate Roeske-Zummer on “Why Humanity Works Better”. Debbie and Kate are on a mission to help leaders chart a new path forward, one that brings humanity to the workplace through awareness, choice, and courage. Listen here. A small request from Ben: Please go and hit the ‘Follow’ button on your podcast player right so that we can grow the show and bring you more great interviews with leaders and global thought leaders. More About Erika Sinner: Erika's unique moment that mattered occurred in the summer of 2023 when she faced the loss of her beloved Shar Pei, Kingston, and her other dog Edmond’s cancer diagnosis just weeks later. This profound grief inspired her to lead more vulnerable and advocate for pet bereavement leave in organizations. Her book, Pets Are Family serves as a first step in raising awareness about the necessity of such leave. Erika's mission extends beyond policy updates; it's about bringing more empathy into the workplace, recognizing the shared human experiences that unite us all.