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Differentiating Compassion vs. Empathy for Better Results with Alison Godfrey

Amy Lynn and guest Alison Godfrey explore the important differences between empathy and compassion in leadership. Are you absorbing everyone else's emotions at work, or are you guiding your team with empathy and healthy boundaries? Amy Lynn and Alison dig into how empathy can quickly lead to burnout, especially for leaders, while compassion takes a more powerful approach—acknowledging others' pain without taking it on yourself. Alison Godfrey is a seasoned executive coach and former CEO with 45 years of experience leading leadership development and growth initiatives across various industries.

Additional Resources:

Discover Your Spiritual Intelligence at Work Connect with Amy Lynn Durham Learn More About Create Magic at Work More on PeopleForward Network Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Connect with Alison on LinkedIn

Key Takeaways:

  • Empathy vs. Compassion: Empathy involves sharing another's feelings, whereas compassion takes it further by seeking to alleviate suffering without taking on the emotional burden.
  • Burnout Prevention: Compassionate leadership can reduce burnout by 64%, as shown in research, by balancing emotional understanding with action.
  • Emotional Boundaries: Leaders can remain effective by maintaining boundaries, focusing on guiding others through their struggles rather than fixing problems for them.
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About the Podcast

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Create Magic At Work®

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About your host

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Amy Lynn Durham

Amy Lynn Durham, known by her clients as the Corporate Mystic, is the founder of the Executive Coaching Firm, Create Magic At Work®, where they help leaders build workplaces rooted in creativity, collaboration, and fulfillment. A former corporate executive turned Executive Coach, Amy blends practical leadership strategies with spiritual intelligence to unlock human potential at work.


She’s a certified Executive Coach through UC Berkeley & the International Coaching Federation (ICF) In addition, Amy holds coaching certifications in Spiritual Intelligence (SQ21), the Edgewalker Profile, and the Archetypes of Change . In addition to being the host of the Create Magic At Work® podcast, Amy is the author of Create Magic At Work®, Creating Career Magic: A Daily Prompt Journal and the founder of Magic Thread Media™. Through her work, she inspires intentional leadership for thriving workplaces and lives where “magic” becomes reality.