Striving to understand

About this episode

This episode explores the practice of empathy as a leadership skill with insights from Katharine Manning, focusing on building trust and psychological safety in the workplace.

In this episode, you will learn how to practice empathy as a leadership skill in real workplace situations. Kate Johnson is joined by Katharine Manning, author of The Empathetic Workplace, to explore what empathy actually looks like in action. They discuss how leaders can move beyond good intentions and develop practical behaviors that build trust, strengthen psychological safety, and improve performance. You will walk away with clear steps for responding to employees who are struggling, handling trauma-informed conversations at work, and building a culture where people feel seen, heard, and supported—without lowering standards or sacrificing results. If this episode prompts you to think more deeply about trust and connection, download the current free Vulnerability and Leadership Toolkit available from onetwentythree ltd. The worksheets are designed to help you put these ideas into practice immediately and strengthen your leadership habits. Katharine Manning is a speaker, author, and trainer who has spent more than 25 years working at the intersection of trauma and leadership—first as a DOJ attorney advising on responses to crises like the Boston Marathon bombing and the South…

People in this episode

Host: Kate Johnson

Guest: Katharine Manning

Topics covered

• empathy
• leadership
• workplace culture
• psychological safety
• trust
• trauma-informed conversations

Keywords

• empathy
• leadership
• trust
• psychological safety
• trauma-informed
• workplace culture
• performance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: onetwentythree ltd.

Books & works: The Empathetic Workplace

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