Psychological Safety - Lisa D. Foster, Leadership Coaching & Training

Do a favor, give a gift, empathize, be grateful for My Gratitude Project

Conflict and Empathy: The Key to Real Change | My Gratitude Project Day 19

November 19, 2025

Conflict and empathy: usually empathy is more effective. If you’re gearing up for conflict and empathy crosses you mind, what should you do? Instead of conflict, try empathy. I know what you are thinking. If you want to fight, the last thing you want to do is empathize. So, ask yourself, do you want to fight or do you want results? Conflict comes from the head—from the need to be right or to stay in control. On the contrary, empathy…

my gratitude project 2025 on the magic of empathy

Everyday Empathy: The Skill That Makes Life Easier | My Gratitude Project Day 12

November 12, 2025

Gratitude Project

When you practice everyday empathy, life gets easier. Everyday empathy isn’t just a feeling. It’s a skill to use daily. My husband, Gary, is a master of empathy and it’s many uses. Years ago, flying home from visiting my relatives in Colorado for Christmas, we got stuck at the airport with our two young children, then about 5 and 7. We were supposed to fly out of a regional airport but when our plane was cancelled, Gary rented a car…

Acceptance: The Hardest—and Most Healing—Form of Empathy | My Gratitude Project Day 10

November 10, 2025

Gratitude Project

Acceptance is another powerful practice related to empathy. Acceptance is acknowledging the reality of a situation without judging or trying to change it. This is a powerful practice that many of us resist. When we do get there, it almost always leads to gratitude. For most people, this is the hardest part of empathy. Naturally, much of the time, we have a tendency to want things to be different from how they are right now. The world is far from…

Mirror Neurons and Empathy: We’re Wired to Connect | My Gratitude Project Day 6

November 6, 2025

Gratitude Project

Innate mirror neurons hardwire us for empathy. We are born with mirror neurons and empathy, which promote the emotional connection we need to thrive. How we use empathy in daily life determines how well we create the bonds that satisfy our human needs. Yesterday, I wrote about copying someone’s words as a way of signaling that you hear them and at least, that you are interested in hearing more from them. But actually, mirroring or copying doesn’t require words at…

My Gratitude Project 2025: Grateful for the Magic of Empathy

November 1, 2025

Gratitude Project

Every year in November, I dedicate myself to thirty days of gratitude, this year, with a focus on empathy. My gratitude project has become an anchor and compass in my life. This year, my focus is on the quiet power of empathy: the ability to truly see and understand another person. Empathy turns gratitude outward—it transforms appreciation for what we have into appreciation for who others are. Each day this month, I’ll share a reflection on what empathy looks and…

perfect field goal as a metaphor for coaching goals and leadership goals

Set the Right Coaching Goals: The Leadership Skills That Drive Success

October 24, 2025

Find a coach

When you’re looking to find a business coach, one of the first questions a coach will ask is about your coaching goals: “What do you want to work on?” If you haven’t thought about that before, defining your coaching goals can feel overwhelming. The key is to start with your pain points—the everyday frustrations that keep you up at night—and connect them to the leadership skills that can help you move forward. Key Takeaways for how to set the right…