C + E + C = X: Solving Leadership’s Toughest Challenges “That’s not really our issue.” Those words cut deep.
Sitting across from me was a well-liked, successful White cis-male executive who dismissed an employee’s concern about the impact of race-based exclusion, both overt and subtle.
As the new Chief Diversity Officer at Campbell Soup Company, I had a choice. I could let the comment pass — avoid the discomfort and preserve the peace. Or I could lean into what I knew to be true: that building and maintaining an inclusive culture was everyone’s issue, and that avoiding the courageous conversation would cost hard-earned trust, energized talent, and public and private credibility.
I could stay silent, or I could speak up. I chose to speak up.
It wasn’t easy or comfortable. My perspective wasn’t always popular. But that moment confirmed for me what decades in leadership and executive coaching taught me: that leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about asking the right questions, understanding others’ perspectives, and having the courage to act — even when it’s hard or could be the beginning of the end of my position at Campbell Soup.
Curiosity, Empathy, and Courage
Fast forward to today. Being a leader in 2025 is exhausting. The issues leadership faces, grow more complex with every news cycle. From Target to Cracker Barrel to Dove, no organization is immune from public scrutiny. Leaders at every level — from the President of the United States to the local grocer — are expected to ensure their constituents and communities feel valued and included. And when people don’t, I believe the blame falls squarely on leadership. It’s not surprising that so many executives are desperate for guidance. They are tasked with making sense of a workplace they don’t, can’t, or won’t ever fully understand.
After more than 50 years in leadership and executive coaching, I’ve found one formula that consistently cuts through the noise:
C + E + C = X
(Curiosity + Empathy + Courage = Whatever we’re solving for)
This equation doesn’t eliminate complexity — but it equips leaders to face it. For example, close each major section (Curiosity, Empathy, Courage) with: “”
Curiosity: The C in the equation.
“Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why.”
Curiosity is the engine that powers and drives leadership growth. It allows us to admit what we don’t know and to ask the questions that open doors to deeper understanding and appreciation for learning and embracing divergent views. True curiosity is humbling – it’s the CEO who must admit that they know very little about cultures other than their own, or that they are confused by gender pronouns, “How is they singular – it was always plural when I was in school? Now Jessica and Pedro say they (see what I mean) want me to use “they” as their gender pronoun choice.
Curiosity doesn’t demand answers; it demands exploration.
Yet, despite its power, curiosity is often in short supply at the executive level. Children ask 300 questions a day. Adults — especially professionals — ask far fewer, and usually only the “safe” ones: “What will keep me out of trouble? What does my manager need?”
Ego, arrogance, and fear of being judged often silence the most important questions. Research proves the cost of this silence. When curiosity is encouraged at work, 73% of employees report sharing more ideas and generating new solutions. But when leaders assume they are already “free to be curious,” without recognizing the systemic barriers that stifle curiosity for others, they trap themselves — and their teams — in a prison of their own making.
Curiosity in leadership is not just about gathering data; it’s about creating a culture where it’s safe to wonder aloud, to test ideas, and to challenge biases and assumptions.
Empathy: The E in the equation.
The modern workplace — hybrid, global, and constantly shifting — demands a new kind of connection. Leaders who rely only on authority or technical skill are falling short. What today’s employees crave is empathy. Not just emotional empathy (“I feel your sadness”), but cognitive empathy — the intellectual ability to understand what someone else is thinking or feeling, and to anticipate how that shapes their actions.
In a hybrid setting, cognitive empathy is essential. Remote workers face challenges with isolation, mixed-message visibility, and work-life balance that office-based colleagues may never consider. An outstanding Black employee said in their exit interview that they were leaving because they missed out on a promotion and when they tried to discuss it, their manager joked, “out of sight, out of mind.”
Without empathy, those challenges go unnoticed — and people disengage. With empathy, leaders can foster trust, improve communication, and strengthen collaboration across distance. Empathy doesn’t mean lowering expectations or avoiding hard truths. It means seeing the world from another’s perspective and using that knowledge to lead wisely. It humanizes decisions, making inclusion real rather than a slogan on the wall.
Courage The C in the equation.
Courage isn’t abstract. It is doing what’s hard but necessary. “The absence of courage is complicity.”
If curiosity asks the questions, and empathy provides the understanding, courage is what turns both into action.
Courageous leadership is not about grand gestures. It shows up in essential ways – defining what matters, removing barriers and acting with curiosity and empathy.
Courage is the hardest quality to sustain because it requires leaders to embrace discomfort daily. It’s easier to defer, disguise, or delegate tough calls. But in times of uncertainty, people look to leaders not for perfection, but for proof that someone is willing to step forward when it counts.
Dr. Maya Angelou said, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue (e.g., integrity, honesty, kindness, fairness) consistently).”
Putting the Formula to Work
C + E + C is not an abstract theory. It gives leaders a practical guide for tackling today’s workplace challenges.
Here’s how leaders can apply it:
- Narrow the solution. Define what your workplace needs to be — not Europe’s, not China’s, but yours — in the next two to three years. Articulate how “we,” collectively, will make it happen.
- Redefine work. Don’t rely on empty promises like “by end of Q1.” Instead, ask: What will work look like for our employees, and how can we shape that reality in tangible, measurable and caring steps?
- Remove barriers. Pinpoint the top three obstacles blocking progress. Remember – if it’s your leaders, what you do defines what everyone else does. Make deep footprints in the sand for others to follow.
- Act. Develop 10–12 small experiments that allow curiosity, empathy, and courage to guide decisions.
Leadership is about the curiosity to seek what you don’t yet know, the empathy to understand perspectives beyond your own, and an ocean of courage to act when the path forward is unclear. The truth is leadership will only get harder. The stakes are higher, the scrutiny sharper (making the possibility for mistakes more painful) and the pace is faster.
Curiosity asks. Empathy listens. Courage acts.
That’s how leaders build not just stronger organizations, but stronger communities and a stronger world.
An Advocate, Leader, Author And Powerful Influencer In The Work Of Cultural Change
Rosalyn Taylor O’Neale is a powerful influencer drawing from a distinguished career spanning over forty years and fifty countries. Rosalyn has held executive positions at Campbell Soup Company, MTV Network, and Cook Ross. Throughout her journey, Rosalyn has garnered recognition for her exceptional leadership and advocacy. She was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America, Top Executives in Diversity, and 100 Top Executives in America. Additionally, she earned her place among the 100 Most Influential LGBT People of the Year, the Audre Lorde Wisdom Award, and received the prestigious “Candace Women of Achievement” award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. Rosalyn holds a Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) from the University of Louisville, and her contributions have been featured in esteemed publications such as the ABA Forum and Diversity Journal. Her perspectives and expertise have been quoted in influential magazines like Black Enterprise, Cable World, Forbes, CIO Magazine, and Harvard Business Review. She is the author of four books including her latest, the second in the
