She Escaped Tehran With a Suitcase — Now She Teaches Northwestern Law Students How Empathy Wins Negotiations

Shermin Kruse began writing poetry in Farsi at age ten to process life under war and political oppression in Tehran. Her family immigrated to Canada with almost nothing. She eventually became a corporate attorney, a Northwestern law professor, and the author of Stoic Empathy — required reading in Northwestern's advanced negotiation course. Her concept of stoic empathy is not soft. It is strategic. The combination of emotional restraint and deep empathic insight that she teaches CEOs, policymakers, and law students creates the kind of unshakeable presence and influence that neither pure logic nor pure emotion can produce alone. What she shares with Stacey Chillemi about how empathy transforms communication in relationships, conflict resolution, and business collaboration — and how stoic principles keep that empathy from becoming a liability — will give you the most intellectually rigorous and personally grounding communication framework you have encountered. Empathy without discipline makes you vulnerable. Stoicism without empathy makes you cold. This episode shows you how to have both. Explore the transformative insights and resources on stoicism, empathy, negotiation, and storytelling at Embark on a transformative journey towards influence, self-leadership, and integrity with "Stoic Empathy: The Roadmap to a Life of Influence, Self-Leadership, and Integrity" by Shermin Kruse, set to release in April 2025 and available for pre-order on:  Stoic Empathy Podcast: Connect with Shermin Kruse and join the conversation on stoicism, empathy, and effective communication by following her on social media platforms: Facebook:  Instagram: LinkedIn: YouTube: Become a supporter of this podcast: . Follow The Advisor with Stacey Chillemi for weekly episodes on mindset, wellness, spirituality, and business growth—without burnout. Newsletter & resources: https://substack.com/@staceychillemi Watch & connect: • Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices