My high school Peers As Leaders class taught me how empathy and active listening could be used as the foundation for peer counseling and mediation. In my MBA program, former FBI hostage negotiator and best-selling author Chris Voss taught me how the same skills could be used in hostage (and business) negotiations. For both your personal and professional lives, developing these "soft" skills can radically transform how you communicate and how you are heard.

Empathy is the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another. It requires us to broaden our awareness, using our own experiences to relate and connect.

Empathy is also strategic: by understanding the other person's position, you can better navigate any challenge.

Effective communications allow both parties to feel seen, heard, and understood while paving a better path forward. (We do this neurobiologically by reducing stimulation and increasing focus.)