Notes on Resilience

Send us Fan Mail Leaders tend to bifurcate, going to one extreme or the other. Some become hyper-competent but emotionally disconnected. Others display overwhelming empathy without direction. Crisis response expert Jeff Gorter reveals that effective leadership during traumatic events requires a delicate balance of compassion and competence. Drawing from his experience responding to organizational...

Send us Fan Mail When tested, we don't rise to the level of our aspirations. We fall back to the level of our training, habits, and policies. This episode originally aired on The Breakout podcast, where I joined hosts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther to talk about trauma, recovery, resilience, and how society fails invisible victims of traumatic events.  For every physical injury in mass v...

Send us Fan Mail In this first in an occasional series on what we owe each other after collective traumas, bioethicist Alham Saadat shares unique insights from her experiences as a refugee and her work in bioethics at the Broad Institute. Alham offers insights into the obligations we have toward one another both during crisis and in everyday life. "What we owe to each other is at the core of...

Send us Fan Mail Ever noticed how the most successful leaders somehow manage to build thriving businesses while maintaining genuine human connections?  Rob Gallaher discovered this secret the hard way. After years of working excessive hours, micromanaging his team, and watching his personal life deteriorate, he knew something had to change. Rob joins us to share how compassion transformed his appr...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when we acknowledge our full humanity in the workplace?  Fran Benjamin, Managing Partner at GoodWorks Consulting, delivers a masterclass in organizational transformation that challenges longstanding assumptions about leadership. Fran offers a definition of compassion: "that moment in which one can no longer distinguish themselves from the other," and explore...

Send us Fan Mail When you think of manufacturing environments, compassionate leadership and unconditional love probably aren't the first concepts that come to mind. Yet at Cambridge Air Solutions, these principles form the backbone of a thriving culture that's delivering remarkable business results. Meg Brown, Chief Operating Officer, reveals the surprisingly simple practices that have t...

Send us Fan Mail "We have more information than ever and less knowledge. We talk at each other more than ever and we're less connected."  James Warren, founder and CEO of Share More Stories, takes us on a journey through the transformative power of stories as the lifeblood of the human experience. He reveals how storytelling creates three essential benefits for organizations: enhanc...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered why good people sometimes make terrible decisions?  Kevin McCarthy lived this question when he unwittingly became involved in what turned out to be Washington state's largest fraud case—an experience that landed him in federal prison for 33 months despite having no knowledge of the crime. Rather than becoming bitter, Kevin transformed this devastating s...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when disaster strikes a community and the ripple effects touch everyone differently? This episode originally aired on The Security Circle podcast, where I joined host Yoyo Hamblen to talk about trauma, recovery, and resilience. I'm sharing it here because the conversation gets to the heart of what we're exploring on Notes on Resilience: the real work of rebu...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered why inspiring speeches from leaders don't always translate to motivated teams? In this conversation with Rob Lion, we discuss how leaders often forget that employees don't necessarily love the organization the same way they do. While executives might focus on purpose and vision, many employees are primarily concerned with meeting foundational needs...

Send us Fan Mail What makes the difference between leaders who inspire innovation and those whose teams merely go through the motions? The answer might surprise you. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller, author, speaker, and leadership coach, reveals that empathy—far from being soft or unnecessary—actually requires tremendous courage and drives measurable business results. In this fascinating conversation,...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever considered that your leadership style might be trapped in patterns established when you were five years old?  That's just one of the eye-opening perspectives shared by Gary Cohen, managing partner and co-founder of CO2 Partners, in this thought-provoking exploration of compassionate leadership. Gary introduces us to the powerful metaphor of walking the ridgeline...

Send us Fan Mail What if the secret to effective leadership wasn't having all the answers, but rather creating space for genuine human connection? In this enlightening conversation with Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther, co-founders of the Abbracci Group, we explore the transformative power of compassion in the workplace. The dialogue begins with a fundamental truth: people want to feel cared f...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a leader admits they've made a mistake?  This vulnerability forms the bedrock of trust in modern organizations. And trust is in critically short supply. The psychological contract between employers and employees has fundamentally fractured, leaving many professionals feeling disposable rather than valued. In this conversation with executive coach Cynthia Pon...

Send us Fan Mail How does play transform workforce dynamics? Monika Guzek, founder of JoyFlow, challenges conventional workplace wisdom with a refreshing take on organizational resilience. From jumping off a 12-meter waterfall despite her fear of heights to teaching CEOs the power of play, Monica embodies the change-embracing spirit she cultivates in others. We discuss how play helps executives ap...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when your company faces a crisis?  For Richard Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations, the answer wasn't found in emergency protocols or contingency plans. It was deeply embedded in the culture of joy his organization had built over decades. When COVID-19 struck and Menlo lost 60% of its revenue, their collaborative in-person work model seemed impossible to maintain....

Send us Fan Mail Today's workplace demands whole-person management: Employees no longer check their emotions and personal challenges at the door. Guest Malvika Jethmalani, three-time CHRO and co-founder of Atvis Group, talks about the three-step employee listening strategy that forms the foundation of compassionate leadership: listening to understand pain points, analyzing feedback implicatio...

Send us Fan Mail Burnout is an occupational phenomenon officially recognized by the World Health Organization. So, what happens when workplace cultures keep us from addressing it directly? Can leaders really create space for authentic conversations about wellbeing? Wellness expert Jasmin Dennis shares a powerful framework for identifying and preventing emotional burnout through compassionate leade...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to authentically lead with compassion?  For Lori Pappas—entrepreneur, humanitarian, and author of "The Magic of Yes"—the answer lies at the intersection of self-awareness, organizational alignment, and redefined success metrics. She shares her journey from successful entrepreneur to humanitarian, revealing how addressing personal trauma enhanced her abi...

Send us Fan Mail "If you take care of your people and projects, the clients usually come right along." Executive coach Rob Ott takes us deep into the world of compassionate leadership, drawing from decades of experience building high-performing teams. He reveals how truly people-first organizations achieve remarkable business outcomes while nurturing fulfilling workplace cultures. Rob co...

Send us Fan Mail Embrace the transformative power of compassionate leadership in our latest episode with Scott Healy, CEO of Psych Hub.  He shares profound insights into why leaders should prioritize empathy, understanding, and trust within their teams. From recognizing the personal struggles of employees to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates diverse perspectives, Scott provides practic...

Send us Fan Mail Are you curious about how emotional drivers shape workplace culture and foster connection?  Join us in this thought-provoking episode as we engage with Dov Baron to explore the concept of emotional source code and its significant impact on organizational dynamics. We delve into the importance of compassion and understanding and how we approach each other with curiosity rather than...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a 30-year journey uncovers a hidden self-sabotaging trait that affects every facet of our lives?  Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Phil Agrios, a seasoned expert who not only discovered this elusive trait but also developed a method to tackle it head-on. Phil shares his personal transformation and the unexpected path that led him to help thousands ove...

Send us Fan Mail What if you could transform your leadership style by embracing joy and compassion?  Join us as we sit down with Amanda Gore, who shares her inspiring personal journey to discover joy. At 68, driven by an unexpected calling, Amanda left her comfort zone behind to pursue a larger role in life. Modern leadership demands a delicate balance between strategic prowess and the nurturing o...

Send us Fan Mail Workplace bullying is a pervasive challenge that impacts employee health and morale. Join us for a conversation with Deitra Payne, who is on a mission to eradicate workplace bullying. We discuss the necessity for compassionate leadership, the definition and implications of bullying, and offer practical advice for addressing these issues within organizations. Bullying and compassio...