Resilience & Stress - Lisa D. Foster, Leadership Coaching & Training

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

Why Some People Struggle with Empathy | My Gratitude Project Day 24

November 24, 2025

When an office has a difficult employee, leaders come to me asking why some people lack empathy. It is common to believe that some people simply lack empathy. I understand why some people believe this, even though every human brain (and many animal brains) have mirror neurons in our brains that hardwire us for empathy. So, why do some people seem incapable of understanding others? I’m not qualified to discuss the effects on empathy of neurodiversity conditions like autism, narcissism…

Empathy and Leadership: What Gen Z Gets Right | My Gratitude Project Day 21

November 21, 2025

Gratitude Project

A new poll reveals how empathy and leadership work together. Ask your grandfather about empathy and leadership, and he might draw a blank. His attitude about empathy and yours probably differ significantly. These generational expectations are showing up in the workplace and in polls that help us understand important trends. In a recent poll, Deloitte Digital asked Gen Z what they wanted most in their boss. Empathy ranked second for Gen Z, and fifth for their bosses. What is happening…

How Caroline Fleck’s Book “Validation” Deepened My Gratitude for Empathy | My Gratitude Project Day 17

November 17, 2025

Gratitude Project

This is a post of gratitude for Caroline Fleck’s book, “Validation,” a must-read for anyone who wants better relationships in life. Why am I talking about empathy? After all, this is My Gratitude Project. But I am truly grateful for some recent books on epathy that have called my attention to its power and uses. So much so, that I want to share my reading with you. Here is the first book I want to recommend: Validation: How the Skill…

The Psychology of Empathy: Why Acceptance Heals | My Gratitude Project Day 16

November 17, 2025

Gratitude Project

The psychology of empathy is the science behind empathy. It works in everyday life and also in extraordinary moments. What exactly is the psychology of empathy? Psychologists have been studying empathy for decades. They are in the business of helping people change, and they are academically minded. So, psychology has been an invaluable source of data on what works to help people change. I’m deeply grateful for the brilliant researchers who have studied empathy and alerted us to its power.…

Empathy Is a Gift: The Healing Power of Listening | My Gratitude Project Day 13

November 13, 2025

Gratitude Project

When empathy is a gift, friendship and gratitude grow. I remember the day that I realized that empathy is a gift. It was over 5 years ago, shortly after my mother passed away. My best friend called me up and asked if I wanted to take a walk. Yes, I said gratefully. How I needed some fresh air! We walked for about an hour, and she almost didn’t say anything. She just let me talk. Losing a loved one brings…

Empathy is Not Agreement — But It Can Transform Everything: My Gratitude Project Day 2

November 2, 2025

Gratitude Project

Empathy is not agreement, but understanding others deeply is transformative in ways that lead to gratitude. You can empathize with someone even when you disagree with their beliefs or their actions. Truman Capote’s book, In Cold Blood, is perhaps one of the most powerful illustrations of empathy without agreement. Capote set out to write about a terrible crime, the murder of the Clutter family in Kansas. He spent 4 years researching the book. In the beginning, he describes in excruciating…