Empathetic Practice with S. Leigh Thompson

In this timely conversation, I sit down with S. Leigh Thompson—a published and award-winning organizer, strategist, professional coach, and organizational development consultant who has spent over 20 years helping organizations and leaders "Do Good Work—BETTER." Leigh brings a unique perspective to transformation work, having guided everyone from Fortune 500 companies to grassroots organizations through strategic change that builds stronger, more cohesive cultures.We explore how empathy becomes a strategic tool for creating lasting change, why creativity is essential for transformation, and how empathetic practice can break us out of binary thinking to build truly inclusive cultures.Leigh shares insights from working with thousands of organizers, educators, and advocates worldwide—including at organizations like the ACLU, GLSEN, and Race Forward—on leadership development, movement strategy, and adaptive leadership.Leigh's approach is rooted in critical analysis, meaningful relationships, creative problem-solving, and transformative change. Their impressive client roster spans values-driven organizations, Fortune 500 companies, creative and cultural institutions, and leading educational institutions. With over 25 years of experience as a Theater of the Oppressed practitioner, Leigh specializes in supporting complex dialogue and learning through emergent, participatory facilitation that incorporates interactive and embodied engagement while fostering growth, movement, and joy in the workplace.Leigh holds an Individualized MA from NYU Gallatin, with coursework on change theory, community studies, nonprofit management, public policy, and campaign strategies.Links:sleighthompson.comlinkedin.com/in/sleighthompsoninstagram.com/sleighthompson00:00 Introduction to S. Leigh's work01:00 Theater of the Oppressed methodology04:00 Art and creativity in organizational change07:00 Moving beyond binary thinking09:00 Defining empathetic practice15:00 Individual vs. organizational empathy work18:00 How equity fits with empathetic presence24:00 Can you have equity without empathy?26:00 Building equitable movements and accountability35:00 Why we all need this work

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