“Scaling the Empathy Wall”, Episode #126
If ever there were a need for empathy, it is now. Listening to the news about what’s going on around the world, it feels as though Humanity is fragmenting right before our eyes.
Empathy is the glue that holds humanity together. Empathy reminds us to nurture life through connecting with one another in kindness and compassion. Empathy is one of the most powerful tools we have to transform conflict into harmony.
Welcome to “Scaling the Empathy Wall”, Episode #126 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast about conscious communication and conflict transformation.
Please join me for the Nov. 4th free online Empathy Summit – Why is Empathy Essential in Conflict Resolution? We’ll hear from 5 international conflict resolution experts, followed by an opportunity to participate in Empathy Circles dialogues with other summit participants. This is a unique and wonderful opportunity! To learn more about the summit and to register, visit https://www.empathysummit.com
Today’s guest, Denise Blanc, my guest for Episodes #46 & #47, returns to the show to talk about how curiosity and inquiry can help us to scale that invisible, but oh-so-daunting wall that seems to divide us from the people around us so that we can discover and remember the beauty of our shared humanity. We do this by building empathy with one another, co-creating a Path toward understanding and deep connection, even with strangers. Together we explore how we can find the commonalities that are the foundation for empathy by starting conversations with clear intentions, asking questions that take us beneath the superficial, and acknowledging others to help them to feel seen and appreciated.
Gems you’ll want to harvest:
- Connecting well with others begins with intention & curiosity
- Finding what we share in common helps build a foundation for empathy
- Acknowledging and asking open questions helps find our commonalities
- The wisdom that comes from initiating a “pattern interrupt”
- “Interrogating” your biases can help you reality-test and transcend them
Denise Blanc, MA, EQCC, ACC is a communication expert, Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach, Facilitator, and Mediator. She coaches, teaches, and writes at the intersection of Emotional Intelligence, Conflict Transformation, and Mindfulness contributing over two decades to the field of Organization Development. Known for her relationship building and conflict skills acumen, she combines data with strong intuition as she supports leaders and teams to deepen in emotional intelligence, lean into hard conversations, and create healthy feedback loops.
Denise is the founder and CEO of River Logic Partners, a leadership coaching and consulting firm. She has been the chief architect of numerous leadership academies, and the recipient of several awards for her leadership design, including “International Spirit at Work Award” and “Best Practices for New Leaders.”
She is the author of RiverLogic: Tools to Transform Resistance and Create Flow in all of our Relationships described as “a deeply insightful guide to living in the presence of conflict – fluidly, with equanimity, caring and skill.” Denise’s commitment is to inspire candor, courage, and compassionate communication in creating a more caring world. She is an Executive Contributor to Brainz Magazine.
Denise holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of Colorado, a master’s degree in health education from JFK University, and Certifications in Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Resolution.
You can learn more about Denise Blanc and her book “RiverLogic: Tools to Transform Resistance and Create Flow in all of our Relationships” by visiting www.riverlogictools.com