177: Leaders with Heart Must Fight Compassion Fatigue

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In this episode, Heather speaks directly to her listeners about the struggles that come with being a compassionate and caring leader. This applies in and out of the home for Heather - in this episode, she opens up about parenting, compassion fatigue, and more. Take a listen.

Key Takeaways: 

  • Being a Caring Leader can be exhausting.
  • It's important to disassociate from other peoples problems.
  • Compassionate leaders must practice distancing themselves from their emotions in order to be objective.
  • Sometimes what people need from you is just to for you to listen.
  • Leaders need help too.
Lean in with care. - Heather R. Younger #leadershipwithheart Share on X

Heather R. Younger's Bio

Heather R. Younger is an experienced keynote speaker, two-time author, and the CEO and Founder of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement, leadership development, and DEI consulting firm, where she is on a mission to help leaders understand the power they possess to ensure people feel valued at work.

Known as The Employee WhispererTM, Heather harnesses humor, warmth, and an instant relatability to engage and uplift audiences and inspire them into action.

Rooted in her belief that employees aren’t just numbers on the payroll but human beings with ideas that matter, Heather’s talks and workshops are dedicated to helping teams, leaders, and organizations shine by improving how they listen to, communicate with, and empower employees.

Lean In the Right Way

Being a Caring Leader can be challenging. I am a person that tends to lead with compassion, care, and empathy naturally, so I used to find myself entirely emotionally drained just from hearing other people's problems. This was tough for me in particular because caring leadership is who I am - it's even my business! Yet, although empathy is a strength, it's also my biggest weakness. Whether it was at home or at work, I would often experience compassion fatigue. However, throughout the years, I've found several ways to fight this compassion fatigue and still be able to show up as a compassionate mom, boss, and friend. The root of it all is intention. When you go into a problem or situation with an intention, it is much easier to disassociate and distance yourself from your emotions and have an objective view.

leaders compassion fatigue podcast

Be intentional with everything that you do. - Heather R. Younger #leadershipwithheart Share on X

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Becoming Unshakeable Podcast

With Heather R. Younger

Becoming Unshakable is the podcast for leaders, creators, and changemakers who know TRUE LEADERSHIP starts from within.

Each episode explores what it takes to lead with resilience, compassion, and purpose while staying human through it all.

Through candid conversations with executives, frontline leaders, coaches, and everyday heroes, Heather uncovers the real stories behind growth, compassion, setbacks, and transformation.

From navigating change to creating emotionally safe cultures, Becoming Unshakable reveals what it really takes to create leaders—and organizations—that can’t be shaken.

Hi, I'm Heather

I've been through every type of
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
you can think of.

Layoffs, reorgs, mergers, acquisitions and major technology shifts. More than 20 years leading teams through high-stakes situations where results mattered, people depended on me, and decisions couldn't wait.

Those years taught me how to lead. But they also showed me the hidden cost of always being the one who holds it all together.

During our second reorg in less than a year, I walked out of a meeting with no say in what was happening, just marching orders. When my team asked how the meeting went, I should have said, “Give me 15 minutes to process this.” But I didn't. Instead, I let them absorb every ounce of my frustration.

Then I saw their faces.

The people who looked to me for stability had just watched me unravel. What was that teaching them about their ability to handle the pressure?

That moment changed how I saw my role as a leader. Leading teams isn't only about grit or resilience. It's about how your presence builds the trust your team needs to function when things get hard.

Today, I help organizations build unshakable leaders, teams, and cultures. Because when leaders become the calm teams can count on, organizations don't just survive change, they come out strong enough to handle what’s next.

Heather Sitting
Heather_Younger_The_Cycle_of_Active_Listening_Guide

The Cycle of Active Listening

Create a listening culture that elevates the workplace experience for everyone.

Through this guide, uncover how to ensure those in your care at work feel heard and valued, resulting in increased loyalty and satisfaction.

  • Understand why listening is the key to improved engagement
  • Learn how the Cycle of Active Listening contributes to strong workplace relationships
  • Get a practical framework for creating a listening culture that is bidirectional, responsive, and supportive

Contact Heather Today!
+1 403-398-8488

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Contact Heather Today!
+1 403-398-8488

Contact
Contact

I'm really interested in...

(select all that apply)*

I can be reached at...

Additional Comments