Sarah Feely on the leadership metaphor that explains why good people burn out in bad systems: clean fish, dirty pond, and what it actually takes to fix the pond.
“We call it clean fish, dirty pond,” Sarah Feely says. “Your systems are the pond and your fish are your leaders.” You can coach a leader into every compassionate mindset and skillset that exists, then send them back into a system built on fear and short-term metrics, and watch it all wash out.
Sarah walks through the practical fix: audit hiring, recognition, and incentive systems for what they actually reward, not just what the values statement says, because “it’s got to be a full court press” from concept to actual behavior.
Watch above, then get the full conversation on the episode page: The Role of Empathy in Leadership with Sarah Feely (https://www.theblisspodcast.com/the-role-of-empathy-in-leadership-with-sarah-feely/)
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa
🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta