Women have long been criticized for being “too emotional” at work, and counseled to be more aggressive or undemonstrative leaders. But a 2020 filled with stress, sickness, and uncertainty has flipped the script and we are finally seeing empathetic, compassionate leaders start to be celebrated in business and government.

Now, Margot Bloomstein, noted brand strategist and principle of Appropriate, Inc, is revealing how anyone can continue to use empathy and vulnerability (which are often considered considerably ‘female’ traits) to communicate effectively and connect with their teams.

“It’s time to leave the tone-policing of women behind,” says Margot, author of Trustworthy: How the Smartest Brands Beat Cynicism and Bridge the Trust Gap [March 2021, Page Two Books]. “Start recognizing that empathy and vulnerability are strengths that are so relevant for right now. Any leader can use them to create stronger, more efficient teams.”

Margot Bloomstein is one of the leading voices in the content strategy industry, and principal of Appropriate, Inc., a brand and content strategy consultancy based in Boston. As a speaker and strategic adviser, she has worked with marketing teams in a range of leading organizations over the past two decades, including Harvard University, Fidelity, Lovehoney, Scholastic, Sallie Mae, Timberland, and the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority.

The creator of BrandSort, she developed the popular message architecture-driven approach to content strategy. Margot teaches in the content strategy graduate program at FH Joanneum University in Graz, Austria, and lectures around the world about brand-driven content strategy and designing for trust. She is the author of Bridge the Trust Gap and Content Strategy at Work: Real-World Stories to Strengthen Every Interactive Project as well as the forthcoming Trustworthy.