Jody Zarn on Why Empathy Is the Most Underrated Leadership Skill You Have

Most of us have been taught to lead with answers. To fix things. To stay ahead of the conversation. But what if the most powerful thing you could offer your team isn't your expertise, but your full attention?In this conversation, writer and corporate trainer Jody Zarn shares how an unlikely friendship with a man named Leroy reshaped how she sees people, leadership, and workplace culture. From listening without an agenda to creating space for the hard stuff, this episode is a quiet reminder that connection isn't soft. It's the foundation everything else gets built on.About the Guest:Jody Zarn is a writer, speaker, philanthropist, and corporate trainer based in Winnipeg, Canada. She is the author of Higher Power Betty and the Homeless Man Who Changed My Life, a memoir about her friendship with Leroy Adams. Her CBC First Person essay on that journey received a Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Canada award.Key Takeaways:Empathy isn't passive. It's a practice you choose, again and again, especially on days when listening feels harder than speaking.People don't need you to fix them. They need you to see them. That's a different kind of work, and it costs you less than you think.Leadership isn't being everyone's friend. It's reading the room, asking better questions, and getting to what's actually driving someone.Listen without agenda. The moment your team feels you're listening to correct them, the trust quietly closes.Create space for the hard stuff. A team that can't say what's wrong is a team that's already shutting down.The smallest gestures, a coffee, a real good morning, a moment of attention, often land the deepest. You don't need a big platform to leave a real mark.Connect With the Guest:Website: https://jodyzarn.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodyzarn/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodyzarn/Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GJ5V1MGPEpisode Chapters[00:00] Cold Open — The moment a colleague stops being a role and becomes a person.[02:30] Meet Jody Zarn — Writer, speaker, and philanthropist on the friendship that changed how she sees people.[05:00] Meeting Leroy — A cold November morning in Winnipeg, a coffee, a muffin, and the start of an unlikely friendship.[12:00] What Leroy Taught Her — Why we dehumanise the people we don't take the time to see.[19:00] Empathy at the Business Table — The quiet myth that caring too much makes leaders weak.[25:00] Holding Space for the Hard Stuff — Why teams shut down when there's no room to say what's wrong.[32:00] Small Gestures, Big Ripples — Why a single cup of coffee can travel further than you think.🎙️ Want to Be a Guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life?Send me a direct message on PodMatch.👉 DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik🌱 About Healthy Mind By Avik™️Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Global Mental Wellness Podcast Network - focused, credible, no more identity clutter.👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.Refer a GuestKnow someone who would be a great fit for one of our podcast shows? Email us at [email protected] with the subject line “Refer a Guest.” Requests without this subject line cannot be catered to.Support Our Podcast: Support this Podcast📬 Contact & LinksBrand: Healthy Mind By Avik™️Contact UsBased in: India & USA🎧 All Podcast Shows🤝 Be a Guest📩 Newsletter Substack👉 Join the LinkedIn Community📌 Disclaimer - This episode is produced for educational and informational purposes only. All views expressed by the guest are their personal opinions alone and do not represent the views of the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify, endorse, or assume responsibility for any guest statements. Nothing in this episode constitutes medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional before making any decisions. Listeners are encouraged to engage critically and independently with all content do not consume blindly. Use this content as a starting point for your own reflection and research, not as a substitute for professional guidance. Third-party content is referenced under fair use for informational purposes only. Guest speakers are solely responsible for their own statements.If you have concerns about any content, please contact us hereBy listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here.#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #BizBlend #EmpathyAtWork #HumanLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipSkills #EmotionalIntelligence #ConsciousLeadership #PeopleFirst #HumanConnection #KindnessMatters #LeadershipDevelopment #FutureOfWork #TeamBuilding