Stacy Sherman, a 2026 inductee into ICMI's Thought Leader Hall of Fame, exemplifies what it means to lead with purpose, passion, and authenticity. As a trailblazer in customer experience and contact center leadership, Stacy has dedicated her career to creating emotional connections that drive loyalty, engagement, and business success. Her insights, shaped by personal experiences and a commitment to breaking barriers, inspire leaders to challenge the status quo and prioritize the human side of CX.
In this exclusive interview, Stacy shares the lessons that have shaped her leadership style, her vision for the future of contact centers, and actionable advice for those stepping into leadership roles. From her mother's groundbreaking journey on Wall Street to her own efforts in fostering purpose-driven cultures, Stacy's story is a testament to resilience, innovation, and the power of emotional intelligence in transforming customer and employee experiences.
Who or what has most influenced how you show up as a leader?
My mom. She was one of the first women options traders on Wall Street, and watching her navigate that world influenced everything about how I lead.
I remember visiting her on the American Stock Exchange floor as a kid. I'd look around and think: Where are all the women? My mom had to take voice lessons to sound like a man. On the exchange floor, traders wore jackets in different colors that signified their status and rank. She wore a color that meant she'd reached the top. She earned that. Nobody handed it to her.
She taught me that leadership isn't about waiting for the room to be ready for you. It's about showing up anyway. Going against gravity. Taking nothing personally. Building your support system. And most importantly, making your own path even when one doesn't exist for you.
Those lessons from the trading floor have guided me through every male-dominated room I've walked into throughout my career. I actually interviewed her about this on my podcast, and the lessons are timeless. You can check it out here.
Her biggest lessons that I’ve passed down to my children (young adults now): When there's a will, there's a way, even if you're the minority in the room. And, if you don't ask, the answer is 100% No. So, ask!
What gives you hope about the future of contact centers?
What gives me hope is seeing more leaders who genuinely care about creating a positive emotional connection at every interaction. I experienced this while working for Greg Hanover at a BPO. He spearheaded a purpose-driven culture that extended to our frontline agents. Thousands of them. Our cross-functional team built a community where agents felt connected to something bigger than their daily metrics. I'm doing whatever I can to influence more companies to do the same through my courses, podcast, on global stages, and in my consulting work because I've lived the impact. I believe a real movement is happening through our collective efforts.
What's the best hack, quick tip, or piece of advice you'd give to someone new to leading a contact center?
Go be a customer service agent.
Seriously. Listen to the calls with real customers. Listen for the emotion. What are customers actually feeling? What are agents struggling with?
Then take what you learned and share it with the people who can fix the core problems. And here's the critical part: tell the customer what you did because of their feedback.
You can't improve what you don't understand. You must hear the actual words customers say, the frustration in their voice, and the relief when helped. Emotions Is The Experience℠ and impacts revenue and brand reputation.
If you could only keep ONE metric on your contact center dashboard, which one stays, and which metric would you cut first? Why?
I'd measure the Emotional Altitude your agents and customers feel. Yes, feel. Emotions matter FAR more than you think.℠ Every interaction leaves a lasting imprint from browsing your website to support calls to billing issues to employee onboarding.
And, every interaction creates an emotional outcome:
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Relief vs Frustration – Speed, stability, clear next steps vs delays, glitches, repeat work
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Confidence vs Anxiety – Predictability, competence, proactive updates vs uncertainty, surprises, silence
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Security vs Distrust – Transparent terms, fair policies, plain language vs hidden constraints, fine print games
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Ease vs Anger – Simple paths, fewer steps, clear ownership vs dead ends, handoffs, forcing effort
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Excitement vs Betrayal – Promises that match reality vs hype that overreaches and disappoints
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Appreciation vs Disrespect – Human acknowledgment, effort, thoughtful recovery vs scripted dismissal, blame, indifference
Those outcomes add up. That accumulation explains loyalty, referrals, churn, attrition, resignations, and ultimately loss.
Traditional metrics miss this completely. In fact, I'd stop measuring CSAT.
I know that's controversial, but CSAT measures "satisfied," which is just fine. It's average. It's the bar for mediocrity. That is no longer good enough!
A customer can be "satisfied" and still never come back. They can click "4 out of 5" and have zero emotional connection to your brand.
Emotions are the real currency. Many companies are Doing CX, but they are not Doing CX Right℠. That gap is your differentiator. Ask me how I know.
~Stacy Sherman
Connect with me: Website and Linkedin. Listen to Doing CX Right podcast (Top 2% Global rank)