In this latest episode of The Evolving Leader podcast, Jean Gomes is joined by Mark Crowley, author of Lead from the Heart, to explore how emotion, belonging, and authentic care are redefining leadership for the modern world. Mark shares his remarkable personal journey, from an upbringing shaped by trauma to a career built on leading through compassion. We hear how what began as an instinctive way to give others what he never received became a philosophy now backed by neuroscience and organisational research.

Jean and Mark unpack why traditional engagement models are failing, how the science of emotion is reshaping our understanding of performance, and why belonging and care are now the greatest predictors of organisational health.

This is a powerful conversation for leaders seeking to create cultures that elevate both human well-being and business results.

Further materials from Mark Crowley:

“Don’t Measure Employee Engagement—Support Employee Well-Being” (2025, Porchlight Book Company)

“5 Leadership Strategies To Help Teams Thrive Amid Uncertainty” (2025, Fast Company)

“Leaders don’t really care about employee engagement. Here’s why” (2024, Fast Company)

“How leaders can address the human energy crisis” (2023, Fast Company)

“Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century” (2011, Balboa Press)

Other reading from Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:

Leading In A Non-Linear World (J Gomes, 2023)

The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence (S Allender, 2023)

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The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

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