Empathetic Practice with S. Leigh Thompson

About this episode

Lee Bonvissuto interviews S. Leigh Thompson about the role of empathy in organizational transformation and leadership.

In this timely conversation, I sit down with S. Leigh Thompson—a published and award-winning organizer, strategist, professional coach, and organizational development consultant who has spent over 20 years helping organizations and leaders "Do Good Work—BETTER." Leigh brings a unique perspective to transformation work, having guided everyone from Fortune 500 companies to grassroots organizations through strategic change that builds stronger, more cohesive cultures. We explore how empathy becomes a strategic tool for creating lasting change, why creativity is essential for transformation, and how empathetic practice can break us out of binary thinking to build truly inclusive cultures. Leigh shares insights from working with thousands of organizers, educators, and advocates worldwide—including at organizations like the ACLU, GLSEN, and Race Forward—on leadership development, movement strategy, and adaptive leadership. Leigh's approach is rooted in critical analysis, meaningful relationships, creative problem-solving, and transformative change. Their impressive client roster spans values-driven organizations, Fortune 500 companies, creative and cultural institutions…

People in this episode

Guest: S. Leigh Thompson

Topics covered

• empathy
• organizational development
• leadership
• transformation
• inclusive cultures

Keywords

• strategic change
• creativity
• binary thinking
• critical analysis
• participatory facilitation

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: an Individualized MA

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