About Laurel
Laurel is a leadership strategist and the founder of Compassionate Leaders Circle. She helps organizations build remarkable cultures where people thrive and perform at their highest level by designing transformational programs that develop compassionate leaders, strengthen engagement, and drive measurable results.
A graduate of Cornell University’s College of Business (BS) and Columbia University (MA in Organizational Psychology), Laurel combines academic rigor with practical insight to equip audiences with tools they can use immediately to elevate careers, improve retention, and align purpose with performance. She delivers high-impact keynotes for executives and people leaders on compassionate leadership, building culture from the inside out, and driving performance through people-first strategies. She also enjoys being a guest on podcasts to discuss career and leadership development and facilitating panel discussions.Â
Laurel’s mission is to help individuals do remarkable work and to help organizations create environments where remarkable work happens every day. She has grown Compassionate Leaders Circle into a hub for transformational leadership development, building careers and organizations from the inside out. She also cohosts the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast and writes about inspiring people and organizations for Forbes.com.
Her passions include celebrating compassionate leaders each year through the CLC Awards, advancing education equality, and enjoying a properly brewed cup of tea.
Three Signature Talks
The Compassion Edge: Leadership That Outperforms
Laurel's three talks challenge the outdated assumption that hard results require hard edges. In today’s complex systems, sustainable outperformance belongs to leaders who can align build trust, and elevate others under pressure.These talks demonstrate that purpose, love, and compassion are not cultural add-ons — they are performance multipliers. These talks can be delivered live or online and be customized to your needs.Â
Talk 1:
Perform with Purpose
Purpose Is a Performance Strategy
Metrics without meaning drive short-term output and long-term erosion. Laurel Donnellan shows how elite organizations convert purpose into performance — and how aligning personal and organizational values is linked to ROI. When purpose is embedded into decision-making, performance becomes disciplined, resilient, and scalable. Purpose is a strategic and competitive advantage.Â
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Talk 2:Â
Lead with Love
Heart-Centered Leadership Is a Power Move
Trust and belonging are now a balance-sheet issue. Laurel reframes “love” as the executive discipline of respect, admiration, and kindness. Leaders who combine love with accountability outperform those who rely on authority alone. In volatile environments, humanity is not softness — it is stability. This talk equips leaders to build cultures where love accelerates cultural cohesion and execution.
Talk 3:
Coach with Courage
Conversations That Boost Profits
Avoided conversations are the hidden cost center of enterprise leadership. Laurel demonstrates how courageous and compassionate coaching — clear standards, direct feedback, unwavering belief — unlocks potential and expands capacity at every level. When executives master high-stakes conversations, performance compounds instead of stalls.
Speaking Engagements
Publications and Media
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