In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks to the Founder of ELF Solutions Inc, Erin Thorp. Erin's journey in the construction and engineering industry exposed her to various types of leadership. This experience inspired her to focus on leadership development training, coaching, and facilitation through her company, ELF Solutions. She emphasizes the importance of equipping leaders with "power skills," often referred to as soft skills in other contexts. One of the key "power skills" Erin highlights is empathy. While the construction industry may not initially seem like a field where the heart is crucial, she argues that it is essential when dealing with clients to understand their needs and deliver the best projects. She noticed a lack of empathy within construction teams, which sparked her mission to create an environment where everyone can thrive. Erin defines empathy as understanding and accepting other people's perspectives, emotions, feelings, and opinions. She emphasizes that empathy is not about reaching agreement but about demonstrating understanding and acceptance.

Key Points from the Episode:

• Importance of empathy in leadership
• Erin's book "Inside Out Empathy"
• ELF Solutions and its focus on leadership development training, coaching, and facilitation
• Equipping leaders with "power skills" (soft skills)
• Lack of empathy within construction teams
• Definition of empathy as understanding and accepting others' perspectives, emotions, feelings, and opinions
• Importance of understanding and acknowledging one's own emotions

About Erin Thorp:

Erin Thorp is an empathic keynote speaker, writer, and coach for leaders in high-stress industries. With 20 years of experience in male-dominated engineering and construction, Erin noticed a lack of emotional skills among technical leaders. This inspired her to focus on supporting leaders in navigating conflicts, communication, and performance during challenging times. She believes "soft" skills like empathy, vulnerability, and connection are essential for impactful leadership. During the pandemic, Erin observed how leaders treated their employees and decided to address the issue herself. She now runs her leadership business full-time. Erin authored "Inside Out Empathy," a book that explores using empathy to build effective teams, drawing from her career and experiences as a mother. As a knowledgeable speaker and facilitator, Erin shares her expertise at various events and conferences, including those organized by the Vancouver Regional Construction Association, CCWESTT Conference, and Women Building Futures. She also conducts workshops and keynotes for corporations like WNORTH, Atlas Gas, ATCO Energy, Cenouvous Energy, and Schneider Electric. Erin holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Calgary. She is an Associate Certified Coach through Integral Coaching Canada and a Certified Mental Fitness Coach through Positive Intelligence. Additionally, Erin is an authorized partner with The Wiley Brand and the Ken Blanchard Companies, certified to deliver DiSC, The 5 Behaviors, and SLII training. She resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with her husband and three children and enjoys reading, outdoor activities, and cooking with her family in her spare time.

About ELF Solutions Inc:

Elf Solutions Inc. is a leadership consulting company that offers personal and professional development services to emerging leaders, professionals, business owners, and entrepreneurs. Their services include 1:1 coaching sessions, keynote speaking engagements, and facilitated workshops. The company is known for its expertise in fostering leadership skills and helping individuals and teams thrive in their respective fields. One of Elf Solutions' notable achievements is the authorship of the book "Inside Out Empathy." This book highlights the underestimated superpower of empathy and its significance in building, developing, and inspiring strong and cohesive teams. Through their coaching and workshops, Elf Solutions aims to equip clients with the essential tools to enhance their leadership capabilities, improve communication, and navigate challenges in high-stress environments. With a focus on empowering leaders with emotional intelligence and people skills, Elf Solutions Inc. plays a crucial role in shaping effective and empathetic leaders who can drive success in both personal and professional spheres.

Tweetable Moments:

04:56 - "We spend all this time getting to know our clients and customers so we can deliver the very best project and product to them, and we spend no time trying to get to know our own internal teams and trying to figure out how do we make this an environment where everyone can thrive." 12:49 - "You got to get in touch with what's really going on with you first because if you don't have the capacity to hold your own emotion, you'll never have the capacity to hold the emotion of anyone else."

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Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Want to learn more? Check out Elf Solutions Inc. website at https://www.erinthorp.ca/ Check out Elf Solutions Inc. on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/elfsolutionsinc/ Check out Erin Thorp on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-thorp-speaker/ Check out Erin Thorp on Twitter at https://twitter.com/erin_thorp Check out Erin Thorp on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/erinthorpcoaching Check out Erin Thorp on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/elthorp/?hl=en Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!

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