[Trauma-Informed] Leadership Uncensored

I speak with former union president, Ron Ruggiero, who shares his insight about his new found freedom, the power of the "pause", and the seduction of the achievement hamster wheel. Ron also explains his theory on the individual trauma within both the working class and the labor union movement as well as the link between trauma and economic / racial justice. "Growing up working class, there is also a stigma about this stuff.  There's a little bit about the working class we gotta be tough,.. we're tougher than them.. there's a whole design and system to send these messages" After a thirty-year, hard-charging career in the labor movement, Ron Ruggiero left his role as President of SEIU 105 in 2022. A friend recommended he read, “The Body Keeps the Score” by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. For the first time, he learned that he had suffered trauma from his childhood “woke up to” the enormous impact of how his unrecognized and untreated trauma had influenced his leadership, his relationships at work and at home, and his behavior patterns that were unhealthy and harmful. As Ron’s individual healing got underway, he quickly turned curious about how trauma impacts the multi-racial, working-class labor movement as a whole such as organizing collectively, leading democratic unions effectively, and building the solidarity needed to take on the power of concentrated corporations to win an equitable life. Ron believes trauma-awareness is the key to solving the enormous economic, racial, and other disparities in our society. Ron hopes his story and the newness of his healing journey can inspire and help other leaders and members of the working class begin their own healing journeys.

I speak with Matthew Cooke to discuss his story of burnout at the age of 24 and the importance of building trauma-informed teams. "All the money I was making in this start up, I was pouring it into I'm sorry. I was unsustainable at 24" Matthew Cooke, partner at Evolution, a coaching, consulting and investment firm, has dedicated his life to ending burnout in tech culture. He is certified in Nervous System Regulation Therapy through Organic Intelligence, and has completed over 1000+ hours in yoga training. Utilizing Evolution's "I, We and It" framework, he helps overwhelmed tech leaders, entrepreneurs, and teams get off the emotional roller coaster of "hustle and grind" culture and have their best day, every day. Some of his clients include leaders at Snapchat, Disney/Pixar, DataEssential, Iterable, SignatureHealth, and My Yoga Online.

I speak with Denean Pillar-Jackson, Executive Director of the Chicago Resiliency Network, an initiative of the Corporate Coalition of Chicago, to discuss their ground-breaking trauma-informed culture work with employers like AT&T, JP Morgan Chase & many other businesses across Chicagoland.The Chicago Resiliency Network is working with employers across Chicagoland to create workplaces that are better for employees and better for business. Through their cohort-based program, employers are creating trauma-informed cultures that promote resilience and sustain high performance. Together, cohort members explore the root causes of trauma and toxic stress and learn the fundamentals of resiliency. Armed with new knowledge and skills, member firms implement training and resiliency practices in ways that suit their businesses. After testing solutions and reflecting on what they've learned, cohort members share insights with one another. Participants engage in a virtuous cycle of learning, doing, and sharing, with the goal of continuing individual and organizational growth beyond the formal program.

Carolyn Swora is an Ontario-based trauma-informed leadership coach, consultant and Human Spirit Ignitor who supports impact-driven leaders within purpose-led organizations to truly understand themselves so that they can show up and lead from their most empowered and greatest version to drive real change. Carolyn leverages both her “Dare to Lead” facilitation skills and her deep understanding of how our three centers of intelligence, the Head, the Heart and Gut, provide us with the basic skills we need to create better balance within ourselves and for others at home, in our community and at work. Please welcome Carolyn Swora to this episode of Leadership Uncensored.  Learn more about Carolyn's contribution to the field of trauma-informed leadership and workplace at https://www.carolynswora.com/Join the conversation and the #1Mby2031 movement.

Trauma-informed design is about weaving the principles of trauma-informed practice into architectural design with the goal of creating physical spaces that promote safety, collaboration, empowerment, well-being and healing.Over the last 15-20 years, there’s been a sweeping effort by urban planners and landscape architects to create healthy community design and health-based  zoning. But what’s good for the community is good for the workplace, right?There is a strong link between our physiological state, our emotional state and the physical environment, especially at work. Research has shown how the physical environment can impact a person’s attitude, mood and behavior. It also means that intentionally designing and maintaining healing environments at the office leads to empowerment and resists retraumatizing those who have already experienced so much trauma.Join me in welcoming three founding members of the Trauma-Informed Design Society-- Davis Harte, Christine Cowart, and Janet Roche for this episode of Leadership Uncensored.  Learn more about their groundbreaking Trauma-informed Design Evaluation Tool for K-12 Schools funded by the American Society of Interior Designers Foundation. 

A trauma-informed approach to leadership is about a way of being, a set of behaviors or principles interwoven into the organization's DNA, not just a specific set of tasks or a checklist or annual training. It isn't being "nicer" to your employees or excusing or accepting unacceptable behavior. It doesn't end with this podcast, either. Trauma-informed leadership is a leadership approach by which the leader acknowledges how their own social and emotional experiences influence the way they interact, communicate, influence and engage anyone who has an interest in the success of themselves, of others and of their organization.  It's  just one component of a comprehensive Power of 3 framework that intentionally integrates a do no harm mindset into all aspects of the leadership, management, and supervision practices. The Power of 3 framework doesn't start and stop with building trauma informed leaders, it also helps leaders identify the root causes or the systems in place that may be triggering vicarious or secondary trauma in the workplace.One MindThe Future of Workplace Mental HealthGiven that most of the world’s population spends one-third of their adult lives at work, employers have a tremendous opportunity to improve quality of life for all people and play a critical role in driving mental health solutions. Moreover, leaving mental health needs unaddressed has costly results like higher absenteeism, increased liability, and lost productivity. We believe that a committed group of CEOs can transform the way we view and approach mental health, brain fitness, and wellbeing in the workplace.Listen to the full episode of Season 3, Episode 16 with Daryl Tol, EVP with One Mind as he takes us through their journey of modeling trauma-informed leadership. More About Daryl TolDaryl started his career in physician practice management and moved to hospital and health system management over a 20 year career in healthcare. During his most recent role leading the $6 billion Central Florida Division of AdventHealth, Daryl led AdventHealth’s consumer work and developed a passion for health transformation and the impact of technology on whole person health. Daryl’s lived experience with mental health challenges while maintaining a busy executive career makes One Mind a work of personal purpose and energy.

BEST PRACTICES IN  TRAUMA-INFORMED LEADERSHIP From the Inside Out  The Corvallis School District  A trauma-informed approach to leadership is about a way of being, a set of behaviors or principles interwoven into the organization's DNA, not just a specific set of tasks or a checklist or annual training. It isn't being "nicer" to your employees or excusing or accepting unacceptable behavior. It doesn't end with this podcast, either. Trauma-informed leadership is a leadership approach by which the leader acknowledges how their own social and emotional experiences influence the way they interact, communicate, influence and engage anyone who has an interest in the success of themselves, of others and of their organization.  It's  just one component of a comprehensive Power of 3 framework that intentionally integrates a do no harm mindset into all aspects of the leadership, management, and supervision practices. The Power of 3 framework doesn't start and stop with building trauma informed leaders, it also helps leaders identify the root causes or the systems in place that may be triggering vicarious or secondary trauma in the workplace.The Corvallis School District is committed to equitable access to an inclusive and rigorous learning experience and outcome that honors each student’s race, culture, socioeconomic status, language, ability, gender, gender expression, and sexual orientation, resulting in engaged citizens and leaders of the future. This vision is in full display by their commitment to the mental health of their students and their families and of their teachers and administration.  Listen to the full episode of Season 3, Episode 15 with Joe Leykam and Kelly Locey from the Corvallis School District in Corvallis, Oregon as they take us through their journey of modeling trauma-informed leadership. 

Listen to the second trailer of Season 3, Episode 15 with Joe Leykam and Kelly Locey from the Corvallis School District in Corvallis, Oregon. BEST PRACTICES IN  TRAUMA-INFORMED LEADERSHIP From the Inside Out  The Corvallis School District  

Listen to the trailer of Season 3, Episode 15 with Joe Leykam and Kelly Locey from the Corvallis School District in Corvallis, Oregon. BEST PRACTICES IN  TRAUMA-INFORMED LEADERSHIP From the Inside Out  The Corvallis School District  

The public/private sectors are in the midst of a turnover tsunami. Layoffs, stimulus checks, vaccine mandates have all been documented as reasons for the mass exodus. However, more and more outlets are beginning to reveal the ugly truth behind how internal politics, power, bullying and authoritative styles of leadership are contributing to the mass exodus and why workers are feeling undervalued, burned out, traumatized and for some, terminated.American worker’s are exhausted, fed up and are choosing to sacrifice income security for happier, healthier and psychologically-safe working environments. Some are also choosing to use their voice to say, “we’ve had enough”.This past summer, in a five-page letter to the Board of Health, Lyndia Wilson spoke truth to power and detailed numerous allegations of leadership failures, including unwarranted terminations, insulting and bullying behavior, fear of retaliation, and a total disregard for the expertise of the staff. She called for the termination of Health District’s Administrator for creating a hostile and toxic work environment.Lyndia Wilson, the former Division Director at Spokane Health District,  joins me for an exclusive podcast interview on the next episode of Leadership Uncensored.

Shakespeare once said, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown” Was he correct? Leadership can be very isolating. On one hand, employees shun friendships with their boss because it may result in bias against the them. On the other hand, leaders intentionally self-isolate from employees so they can appraise their performance fairly. Additionally, leaders fail to form social connections and relationships with their peers due to lack of alliances, trust, brutal politics and authoritative cultural norms. Join us for the next Leadership Uncensored as we explore loneliness and isolation in leadership roles. Professional Certified Coach Terry Hoffmann shares her perspective on the issue, engagement tips and stories from the field. 

5-Part Special Series on Change3 of 5 Podcasts on Change: Dr. David Dull is an anesthesiologist, certified physician executive and certified executive coach.  He received his Master of Medical Management from Carnegie Mellon University.  He is founder of Probitas Healthcare Advisors LLC and Compass Executive Coaching.  He is on the faculty at Georgetown University where he teaches Health Care Leadership.  Using frameworks developed over the course of his career, David has enabled physician leaders to implement strategic initiatives, improve clinical quality, enhance team communication, transition from clinical care to executive roles and advance their careers.  David works with physicians labeled as “disruptive” to help them understand the impact of their behavior and modify their interactions, enabling these individuals to become constructive members of the health care team, with resultant high performance in clinical and administrative arenas. Businesses must constantly transform and adapt to meet a variety of challenges—from changes in technology, to the rise of new competitors, to a shift in laws, regulations, or underlying economic trends. Failure to do so could lead to loss of talent, stagnation or, worse, failure.  Change has a starting point (current state) and an end point (future state) and right in the middle are people. Business sectors are still responding to the prolonged COVID crisis, which has impacted—and sometimes traumatized—each member of the workforce in unique ways. Countless stories of toxic work environments and people not being their “best selves” are surfacing in video blogs and HR complaints, to name a couple. Leading dynamic organizations through any type of change is difficult, and it’s even harder when employees are experiencing high levels of emotional distress inside and outside of the workplace. 

5-Part Special Series on Change1 of 5 Podcasts on Change: Laurie Shakur, aka "Work Mom", and  VP, Head of People for Rakuten, USA & B2B, a Division of Rakuten, Inc., the largest eCommerce company in Japan, and third largest eCommerce company worldwide. Known for Putting the Human Back into Human Resources, she creates inclusive environments that encourage empathy and belonging while getting impactful work done.  Businesses must constantly transform and adapt to meet a variety of challenges—from changes in technology, to the rise of new competitors, to a shift in laws, regulations, or underlying economic trends. Failure to do so could lead to loss of talent, stagnation or, worse, failure.  Change has a starting point (current state) and an end point (future state) and right in the middle are people. Business sectors are still responding to the prolonged COVID crisis, which has impacted—and sometimes traumatized—each member of the workforce in unique ways. Countless stories of toxic work environments and people not being their “best selves” are surfacing in video blogs and HR complaints, to name a couple. Leading dynamic organizations through any type of change is difficult, and it’s even harder when employees are experiencing high levels of emotional distress inside and outside of the workplace. 

5-Part Special Series on Change1 of 5 Podcasts on Change: Dave Walter, Prosci Master Instructor and recently retired Director of the Change Management Expertise Center for Dow, Inc., coaching Dow practitioners in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, China and throughout the US and Europe.Businesses must constantly transform and adapt to meet a variety of challenges—from changes in technology, to the rise of new competitors, to a shift in laws, regulations, or underlying economic trends. Failure to do so could lead to loss of talent, stagnation or, worse, failure.  Change has a starting point (current state) and an end point (future state) and right in the middle are people. Business sectors are still responding to the prolonged COVID crisis, which has impacted—and sometimes traumatized—each member of the workforce in unique ways. Countless stories of toxic work environments and people not being their “best selves” are surfacing in video blogs and HR complaints, to name a couple. Leading dynamic organizations through any type of change is difficult, and it’s even harder when employees are experiencing high levels of emotional distress inside and outside of the workplace. 

Organizational politics are normal organization attributes and navigating internal politics is a necessary leadership skill for selling ideas and influencing others with diverse interests without compromising your integrity or the organization’s values. There is evidence that if used skillfully and transparently, organizational politics can assist leaders in negotiating difficult workplace situations and advancing strategy. On the other hand, a leader’s inability to navigate the political “system”, the dirty power plays and the constant undermining of colleagues and subordinates for personal gain, can make or break their career. Join us for the next Leadership Uncensored as we explore the Dark Underbelly of Organizational Politics. Three expert leaders will share their own dysfunctional political encounters, discuss [submitted] “stories from the field” and provide wisdom to both seasoned and aspiring leaders. Shailushi Baxie Ritchie, Founder & CEO, Sevah ConsultingArthur Padilla, Senior Managing Partner, Strategy WorksRob Meiksins, Co-Founder, Board President, & Facilitator, Nonprofit Academy of Wisconsin

We need emotional intelligence and trauma informed leadership now more than ever. The outdated coercive style of leading and managing people is out.Emotional intelligence and trauma informed leadership is an approach that acknowledges there is an emotional world of experiences that runs deep within each of us. When these emotional responses are triggered in the workplace, each person responds according to the extent of their emotional scars, traumas and emotional strengths. Rather than creating a tinderbox workplace culture that asks, “What’s wrong with you?” We should be asking, “What happened to you?” What matters to you?”“What can we accomplish together?”Join the next episode of LEADERSHIP UNCENSORED with guests Kathryn Thomas and Jarik Conrad as we discuss how organizations are transitioning away from the coercive "iron fist" style of leadership and embracing emotional intelligence and trauma-informed leadership. 

We need emotional intelligence and trauma informed leadership now more than ever. The outdated coercive style of leading and managing people is out.Emotional intelligence and trauma informed leadership is an approach that acknowledges there is an emotional world of experiences that runs deep within each of us. When these emotional responses are triggered in the workplace, each person responds according to the extent of their emotional scars, traumas and emotional strengths.Rather than creating a tinderbox workplace culture that asks, “What’s wrong with you?” We should be asking,“What happened to you?” "What matters to you?”“What can we accomplish together?”Guests: Kathryn Thomas is the founder of Yoga 4 Change and on the management team of ANAMAR Environmental ConsultingJarik Conrad, EdD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, leads the Human Insights and HCM Evangelism team at Ultimate Kronos Group

Bravado or vulnerability? Doggedness or self-Awareness? Intimidation or humility? Most of us can visualize these terms playing out in our past/current places of employment, with our past/current leaders or even within ourselves. On one side of the debate, some leaders believe that being smart, calculating, and competitive doesn’t equate to expressing any vulnerability, better yet crying. Leaders should convey a “professional demeanor” because anything else would be understood as being “too soft” in the public, with staff and with stakeholders.“Don’t ever let them see you sweat” “Keep a professional mask and only show the best parts of who we are”On the other side of the debate, some leaders strive to become more aware of their own intentions and their impact on others. Leaders believe that by taking steps toward ownership of their emotions and creating environments for growth and learning, they will build high performing and innovative teams, mitigate destructive cultures and increase retention. Join the next episode of LEADERSHIP UNCENSORED as we ask, "What is the prevailing thinking about a leader who cries openly?

Bravado or vulnerability? Doggedness or self-awareness? Intimidation or humility? Most of us can visualize these terms playing out in our past/current places of employment, with our past/current leaders or even within ourselves. On one side of the debate, some leaders believe that being smart, calculating, and competitive doesn’t equate to expressing any vulnerability, better yet crying. Leaders should convey a “professional demeanor” because anything else would be understood as being “too soft” in the public, with staff and with stakeholders.“Don’t ever let them see you sweat” “Keep a professional mask and only show the best parts of who we are”On the other side of the debate, some leaders strive to become more aware of their own intentions and their impact on others. Leaders believe that by taking steps toward ownership of their emotions and creating environments for growth and learning, they will build high performing and innovative teams, mitigate destructive cultures and increase retention. Join the next episode of LEADERSHIP UNCENSORED as we ask, "What is the prevailing thinking about a leader who cries openly?

Many Black leaders find themselves being the “only one” in the c-suite, on boards, in meetings, at conferences, at strategic retreats. Black leaders often feel “Hoorah for me! and “Why just me?” all at the same time.  There is an unconscious bias that exists in leadership and business culture, whether people want to admit it or not. Companies can have all the diversity and inclusion trainings they want, but that doesn’t change the fact that Black women and men are continually overlooked, isolated, discriminated against or tokenized. Join the next episode LEADERSHIP UNCENSORED as we explore what it’s like to simultaneously be invisible and hyper visible at work.