
Power Amplifies Who You Are: Julie Jakopic on Leadership, Empathy, and Resilient Organizations
From The Richard Taliaferro Podcast by Richard Taliaferro
May 21, 2026 · 43 min · Season 2 · Episode 35
About this episode
Richard Taliaferro interviews Julie Jakopic about the complexities of leadership and the importance of empathy and resilience in organizations.
Leadership can look polished from the outside. But behind the title, many leaders are carrying enormous responsibility, constant visibility, and very few safe places to be fully human. In this episode, Richard talks with Julie Jakopic, a leadership evangelist, strategist, coach, and founder of iLead Strategies. Julie works with leaders across nonprofits, government, public service, and mission-driven organizations—often people with a lot of responsibility and not many true peers. Together, they explore what happens when high-performing doers become leaders, why letting people fail can be essential to growth, and how leaders can stay grounded when others put them on a pedestal. Julie also shares why power doesn’t change people as much as it amplifies them, why empathy is one of the most important leadership skills, and why leaders need trusted spaces where someone can hold up a mirror and ask better questions. This conversation is about leadership, yes. But it’s also about humanity, accountability, and the courage to stay curious before getting angry. Learn more about Julie Jakopic’s work: https://ileadstrategies.com I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach…
People in this episode
Host: Richard Taliaferro
Guest: Julie Jakopic
Topics covered
- leadership
- empathy
- resilience
- personal growth
- accountability
Keywords
- leadership
- empathy
- resilience
- personal growth
- accountability
- high-performing leaders
- trusted spaces
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: iLead Strategies
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