About this episode
Leadership advice is everywhere—but leadership that actually works is rare.In this episode of The Change Agent, Eric sits down with Dr. Valentina Schneider, a leadership advisor and organizational behavior researcher, to unpack what most leaders misunderstand about empathy, assertiveness, and effectiveness.Drawing from years of academic research and real-world advisory work, Dr. Schneider challenges the false binary that leaders must choose between being nice or being effective. Through evidence-based insight, she explains why that belief is not only wrong—but actively damaging to teams, performance, and careers.Together, they explore:Why conflict is still mostly destructive—and how leaders can make it productiveThe critical difference between cognitive empathy and emotional contagionHow over-assertiveness quietly erodes trust, safety, and performanceWhy leadership effectiveness lives in a narrow “middle ground” most leaders missHow gender norms rig the leadership game—and what leaders can do about itWhy data, when misused, reinforces bias instead of truthHow cross-functional teams fail without emotional intelligence at the centreThis is not a conversation about soft skills.It’s about leadership under pressure, where decisions carry consequences and behaviour sets the emotional temperature of entire organisations.If you lead people, manage conflict, or operate in high-stakes environments where clarity is rare and responsibility is heavy—this episode will change how you think about leadership.? Listen closely. The science is clear—but the work is yours.Send us a message and let’s connect!Support the showSupport Our Show On Apple Podcasts! Support Us On YouTube by Subscribing! Support Our Show On Spotify! Learn More On Our Website! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Support the show to help us continue! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449509/support
