Heart-Centered Leadership and the Power of Circles with Elizabeth Werbe

In this episode, Mentor sits down with Elizabeth Werbe, a heart-centered coach, facilitator, and program designer who has spent more than two decades supporting social change leaders. Elizabeth’s work has taken her across leading educational and cultural institutions - from Barnard College, Obama Foundation, The New School to the Smithsonian - and her focus has always been the same: helping people discover what makes them come alive and use their gifts in service of their communities. This conversation explores what it means to lead from the heart, why inner change must come before outer change, and how circles can help people see themselves more clearly, build trust, and move through fear with courage. Elizabeth shares how her own journey - shaped by perfectionism, wilderness leadership, the loss of her mother, and a powerful experience working with Tibetan refugee youth in Dharamsala - taught her to drop her protective armor and connect more deeply with her own heart. Together, Mentor and Elizabeth dive into: The real meaning of heart-centered leadership Why we often teach what we most need to learn How community, consistency, and shared intention build trust The practice of circles and why they help people uncover patterns and blind spots Why slowing down is essential in a culture of urgency How grief, suffering, and challenge can deepen compassion The role of art, nature, and creativity in supporting transformation Why relational capacity is foundational, not “kumbaya” Elizabeth also reflects on two quotes that guide her work: “When you show up authentic, you create the space for others to do the same,” and Howard Thurman’s reminder to “ask what makes you come alive.” These ideas run through her life, her facilitation, and her belief that the most courageous thing we can do is come from the heart. Find Elizabeth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethwerbe/