One of the seven laws of the advertising universe — as articulated many years ago by The Wizard of Ads Roy H. Williams — boils down to this: "Win the hearts of the people, their minds will follow."

Douglas E. Noll expresses it differently but arrives at much the same conclusion. Strong leadership, he says, begins with understanding a simple truth: People are emotional beings, and their nervous systems shape how they respond at work.

Doug is a former trial lawyer and experienced mediator who developed and refined his skill as a consultant to senior executives while working with gang members and other criminals in maximum-security prisons. 

A consultant to senior executives, he has written five books; his most recent, published earlier this month, is Empathy Leadership: The Powerful Skill That Drives Winning Results.

On this week's podcast, he explains that employers "should stop thinking of their staff as rational, and recognize instead how strongly their emotions drive their actions and decisions on the job." 

Those leaders who understand this fundamental truth will reduce workplace conflict and get more productive results from their people. 

Monday Morning Radio, now in its 15th season, is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart.

Photo: Douglas E. Noll
Posted: September 21, 2026
Monday Morning Run Time: 57:26
Episode: 710

 



[Be sure to pick up your copy of All You Can Eat Business Wisdom: Second Helpings, the new Monday Morning Radio anthology featuring 21 world-class thinkers and leaders.]

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