Self-made James Joseph leads with empathy to inspire even the most unlikely leaders
James Joseph has never had to look far for guidance and inspiration:
“If my father ever had a bad day, I didn’t know it. If he ever rushed to judgement, I didn’t see it,” Joseph said. “My parents are still married after 43 years, and my father just retired after 46 years at the same company. You don’t see that type of dedication anymore. He is my guiding light.”
They taught me to have tough conversations with myself
His parents didn’t expect perfection, but they did expect reflection. “How you respond after mistakes is what makes you,” Joseph said. “They taught me to have tough conversations with myself, so then you can have them with others.”
That focus on introspection and reflection led Joseph to enlist in the Marine Corps after high school. “I owe so much to the Marine Corps for teaching me how to treat people and navigate life,” Joseph said of his eight years of service.
“In the Corps, when you feel like giving up, you don’t. You never give up on yourself. That’s what digging deep is all about; you have highs and lows, but you figure out how to be successful through situations and in relationships. Trust is gained where trust is built.”
Joseph transitioned from the service to Comcast, where he climbed the ranks as a team supervisor. He found his passion for leading teams.
“Leadership is not a person or a position. It is a complex moral relationship between people,” said Joseph, now a training development specialist for bank and consumer operations at First Merchants Bank. “But the more responsibility I gained, the more I recognized the importance of ongoing professional development.”
Investing in himself
Joseph began 2023 as a participant in Shafer Leadership Academy’s Empower program, a 10-week virtual experience focused on career strengths and values, confident communication, financial future, and self-care and advocacy.
But after the first session, Joseph’s 23-year-old daughter, Brianna, died in a car accident. Joseph missed the following week, but he returned to the program to “dig deep” into his grief, anger, and reason for being. Through personal coaching sessions and interactive group activities, Joseph said he learned to “show up” as his authentic self and that relationships are core to his leadership style.
…to give more grace and empathy, and to bring my best self to work and life.
“Empower was the best 10 weeks I’ve ever experienced at a time when I could have channeled my energy in another direction,” he said. “That time brought me closer to God and my family. Since Brianna’s passing, I tell people to hug their kids a little longer and tighter because you never know if you’ll wake up to the message they’re gone. I’ve vowed to live a more loving life — to give more grace and empathy, and to bring my best self to work and life.”
He channeled that mindset into building a warm and supportive culture at First Merchants: “We practice what we preach here and have an overwhelming sense of community. It’s one of the reasons why I’ll never leave this place. They are going to have to drag me out of here.”
He also started writing a book, “Coaching Without a Whistle,” to help managers reflect on and celebrate strengths rather than only “blowing the whistle on everything wrong,” he explained. The book offers recommendations about how and when to give employees constructive feedback.
“I thrive on developing people. I want the worst of the worst. I want the people who are failing. I want the people who don’t want to be here, with the worst scores and the least amount of drive,” he said. “And then I love working with them to build and make something very beautiful in a respectful, productive environment.”
From participant to facilitator
In September 2023, Joseph transitioned from participant to facilitator, when he led a session by the same name as his forthcoming book. In the session, he stressed the importance of self-reflection.
…peel back the layers and learn about yourself
“I am able to have tough conversations with others because I learned to have tough conversations with myself,” he said. “It’s difficult to put yourself in that vulnerable space, but once you start to peel back the layers and learn about yourself, you can better understand what you bring to a space and how to interact with others.”
Even though he guides others, Joseph said he will never stop enrolling in workshops to grow as a leader: “A leader who says they don’t need professional development is like saying a bird can fly without wings. How can you grow as a leader and grow the people around you if you don’t learn how to reflect?”
He also stresses the importance of professional networks and mentors. Joseph is quick to thank the mentors in his life, like Dixie Mullins, Brandon McGuire, Donna Wilson, Dwain Davis, and Mikel Bowman. Mentors shed light for you and help you see strengths and opportunities for growth and offer support all along the way.
‘Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit’
But it is not only work relationships that sustain him. Joseph said the consistent support and love of his wife, Tristyn Joseph, allows him to bring his authentic self to work every day. Their children — Sarah, 19, Juelyus, 11, Trenton, 11, and Xavyer, 8 — keep Joseph “young and on my toes.”
“My wife pores into me and believes in me,” he added. “She is the reason I am the husband, father, brother and son I am today. My wife is very powerful, and she speaks much positivity into me.”
To aspiring leaders, Joseph shares two quotes he keeps front of mind: The first is, “Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon,” by Country music artist, Paul Brandt. He found the second quote in a fortune cookie:
“Usually, the fortunes are all the same, but I read this one about two years ago, and I hadn’t recalled seeing it, and it has stuck with me. It said, “Stop searching for happiness, it’s all around you.”