Student-Stories, Career-Advice
CTX Speaker Series: The Empathy Guy, Joseph Cope
November 22, 2024
Welcome to the first CTX Speaker Series of the Fall 2024 semester, where guest speakers share their experiences and advise the CTX community. These events usually happen in the chapel and can be found on the University events calendar. In this session, we follow Joseph Cope, also known as The Empathy Guy, who goes over leadership, navigating competing theories in a system, algorithms of humans, and the concept of DRIVE.
About The Empathy Guy
Joseph Cope is a former middle school teacher, now CEO and “Empathy Coach” for top businesses and organizations that may seek help sorting out kinks and knots inside of their workplaces. Joseph Cope is the one and only Joseph Cope, there’s not many people that can consider themselves qualified to be a professional speaker, Empathy Coach, and a dedicated husband and father.
What really is Leadership?
Joseph describes leadership as whatever you think it is. Everyone has their own interpretation of what it means to be a leader, but he explains that sometimes things don’t always work out under certain types of leadership because groups often have different ideas about what being a leader means. These differences can lead to conflicts, and Joseph points out that competing theories all have to do with one thing: Hardship, and how it affects one's upbringing.
How hardships affect your algorithm.
Joseph shares that all humans have an algorithm, which refers to the way their brains are wired and how people may receive or deliver information. These algorithms are heavily molded by hardships people grew up with. The algorithms affect people’s coping methods, how they take in information and communicate, and how they lead. No two people have the same algorithm, which complicates leadership because communication with different types of algorithms is mandatory.
CARGO
To conclude, Joseph introduced a very important acronym called “CARGO.” When followed correctly, it can turn anyone into a great leader.
C is for connect. As in connecting with others. In order to form a stronger bond, leaders should offer someone instead of coming off as a boss by asserting their authority.
A is for accountability. Holding oneself to their values not only in thought but also in difficult conversations, where it may not be easy to take accountability.
R is for resistance. Being able to stand firm when you don’t believe in something, as well as being mindful of how other people may feel, not being rude or ill-mannered.
G is for gain. Which can be interpreted as currency or value. Knowing what’s valuable to others is a good skill for a leader to have.
O is for outlook. Perspective is everything. Leaders should see all perspectives before making a decision, or just to see things from a different perspective.
About the Author
Christian Tookes is a first-year student at CTX, planning to graduate in 2026 due to dual credit. He is an intern at Concordia Texas’ Ultraviolet Student Agency. Christian is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and hopes to become a physical therapist in the future.
