Connected Leadership Training for Barilla Group’s International HR Team
The Challenge
Barilla’s international HR team came together with a clear intention: to explore how empathy, trust, and psychological safety can be strengthened inside the organization. The team was deeply committed to creating a people-first culture, yet aware of a persistent tension between what an organization aspires to and what people actually experience. One Breath designed a customized workshop to highlight the importance of psychological safety, trust and empathy in order to cultivate what we call "Connected Leadership".
The Methodology
The session blended short, research-informed elements to frame the topic, with experiential activities designed to bring theory to life through dialogue and reflection. The workshop combined:
Brief content segments on psychological safety, empathy, and trust
Breakout exercises exploring moments of disconnection and repair
Scenario-based conversations to examine empathy under pressure
Group reflections on how culture is shaped in practice
The session was designed to be practical, participatory, and emotionally honest, giving leaders tools to examine their own team tone, while also connecting the dots between daily behavior and broader organizational culture.
The Learnings
Culture is lived locally
While company values set the tone, team culture is shaped by daily interactions. One participant noted: “You can feel the difference between teams, some managers create openness, others create fear.”
Empathy is responsibility
Participants reflected on how empathy is not a soft skill, but a relational one. It requires consistency, presence, and a willingness to stay with discomfort, especially when emotions run high or performance is at risk.
Repair matters more than perfection
Psychological safety means how to move through conflict, rather than avoid it, like many leaders do. Trust is reinforced by the ability to acknowledge impact, hold space, and reconnect.
Micro-cultures carry real weight
Each leader sets the emotional tone of their team. People may belong to the same company, but their lived experience can vary dramatically depending on how their manager shows up in moments of pressure or uncertainty.
The impact
The conversation created space for honest reflection, with many participants sharing moments when trust had been built—or broken, through small, everyday actions. The team left with a stronger shared language around psychological safety, greater awareness of the silent signals leaders send, and a renewed sense of personal responsibility.
For more insights on workshops like this check out our corporate Learning & Development Programs