In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we look at self-empathy as a practical skill you can use in everyday life. My guest, Melissa Robinson-Winemiller, is a former professional musician and university professor who later founded EQ via Empathy where she works today. Melissa shares how a tough career pivot pushed her to study empathy and write the book, The Empathic Leader.

Here we talk about how to build your self-empathy muscles in easy moments first so that you have the skills available to you when the stakes rise. We also explore why high achievers take the blame when things go wrong yet wave away credit when things go well, how empathy and judgment cannot coexist, and a simple practice to interrupt reactivity so you can lead with more clarity at work and at home.

About My Guest
Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller isn’t just talking about leadership: she’s challenging us to do it differently. With over 20 years of cross-industry experience, she helps leaders build emotionally intelligent cultures that don’t just feel better, they perform better. A TEDx speaker, EQ coach, and author of The Empathic Leader, Melissa blends research, real-world insight, and lived experience to make empathy actionable at every level of leadership. She’s on a mission to prove that the so-called “soft” skills are the ones driving the hard results — and the future of leadership depends on them.

Connect with Melissa:
Website: https://eqviaempathy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-melissa-a-robinson-winemiller-author-speaker-trainer/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empathyqueen.eq/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEmpathicLeader

Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:

Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:
https://www.kimmeninger.com/challenge

Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:
https://www.kimmeninger.com/leadinghumansgroup

Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6

Join the Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumans

Schedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session

Connect on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/

Website:
https://kimmeninger.com