Leadership

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2024 Year-End Rewind – Reflecting, Growing, and Shaping the Future Together

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2024 Year-End Rewind – Reflecting, Growing, and Shaping the Future Together

Welcome to a special year-end episode of Headspace for the Workplace, where we take a moment to reflect on the past year, celebrate milestones, and plan for an even more impactful 2025. As we close out 2024, we honor a deeply personal milestone: twenty years since the suicide death of my precious brother, Carson. His memory continues to guide my mission to foster transformative change in workplace mental health and suicide prevention.

Highlights of Our 2024 Journey

This year has been a testament to the power of lived experience, collaborative leadership, and actionable strategies in reshaping workplace culture. Here’s a look back at some of the key moments that defined 2024

Investing in Mental Health Services for Spanish-Speaking Workforces with Dr. Pierluigi Mancini | Ep. 57

Investing in Mental Health Services for Spanish-Speaking Workforces with Dr. Pierluigi Mancini | Ep. 57

I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Dr. Pierluigi Mancini, a stalwart in promoting mental health awareness for the Spanish-speaking workforce. As we delved into the intricacies of mental health care and its accessibility, it became strikingly clear that we must move beyond mere translation and token gestures. Instead, we need a comprehensive strategy that acknowledges and integrates cultural and linguistic diversity. Dr. Mancini aptly put it: recognizing cultural cues can be the key to mental wellness at work. This underscores the necessity for organizations to train their supervisors and HR teams in detecting nuanced expressions of mental distress that might not conform to Western paradigms.

The Anxious Achiever – Rethinking the Relationship Between Your Mental Health and Success with Morra Aarons-Mele | Ep. 56

The Anxious Achiever – Rethinking the Relationship Between Your Mental Health and Success with Morra Aarons-Mele | Ep. 56

Morra Aarons-Mele is a renowned voice in the realm of leadership and mental health, bringing a fresh perspective to how executives and professionals can embrace and channel their anxiety to become resilient, impactful leaders. Known for her thought-provoking podcast, The Anxious Achiever, Morra redefines the relationship between mental health and success, advocating for a balanced, mindful approach to leadership.

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Leading through the Shadows — Leadership, Depression and the Perfectionist’s Paradox: Interview with Dr. Margaret Rutherford | Ep. 26

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Leading through the Shadows — Leadership, Depression and the Perfectionist’s Paradox: Interview with Dr. Margaret Rutherford | Ep. 26

This episode covers the perfectionist's paradox in leadership.

In the relentless pursuit of perfection, leaders often find themselves entangled in a web of unattainable standards. The paradox of perfectionism, touted as a virtue, becomes a silent accomplice to the insidious clutches of depression. Unveiling the facade of flawless leadership, this podcast episode explores the hidden struggles beneath the polished exterior….

My guest today is Dr. Margaret Rutherford, a clinical psychologist and the author of “Perfectly Hidden Depression: How to Break Free from the Perfectionism That Masks Your Depression.” Her two actionable takeaways are:

  1. Reflect on the question, “Is your perfectionism constructive or destructive?”

  2. Get off the treadmill…

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How to Harness the Power of the Whole Brain -- Understanding Neuroplasticity to Change Patterns in Life and Leadership: Interview with Sue Stock | Ep 23

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How to Harness the Power of the Whole Brain -- Understanding Neuroplasticity to Change Patterns in Life and Leadership: Interview with Sue Stock | Ep 23

In neuroscience we often say “what fires together, wires together.”

Imagine your brain is like a big network of roads. These roads are made up of tiny parts called neurons. Neurons are like messengers that help your brain send and receive information. When you learn something new or experience something, like riding a bike or learning a new word, certain neurons in your brain become active…

In this episode, I speak with Sue Stock, an Executive Coach with expertise in neuro-transformation. She shares these two actionable takeaways:

Tip #1 Metaphors challenge the mind

Tip #2 Cross the river and shift your thinking

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Awareness to Action -- Getting a Quick Start on Building a Robust Workplace Mental Health Program: Interview with Steven Frost | Ep 18

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Awareness to Action -- Getting a Quick Start on Building a Robust Workplace Mental Health Program: Interview with Steven Frost | Ep 18

Raising awareness about mental health issues in the workplace is crucial, but it is not enough on its own. Taking action is equally important. Awareness alone does not create tangible changes or provide support for employees who are struggling. Workplace mental health program development should go beyond simply acknowledging the issue and actively work to implement strategies that promote mental well-being, reduce bias, and provide resources for support. By taking action, organizations can create a culture of care, where employees feel supported and empowered to seek help when needed. Action-oriented programs make a real difference in improving mental health outcomes and creating a healthier work environment for everyone involved.

In this interview I speak with workplace mental health advocate Steven Frost. Steven shares these three tips for a quick start to building a workplace mental health program are:

  1. Gain Leadership Buy-in: Messaging of unwavering support from key leaders empowers cultural shifts

  2. Develop a Diverse Team: Representative champion's voices must be heard. 

  3. Gather Resources: Upstream, midstream and downstream

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Beyond Paychecks and Performance -- How Leaders Can Cultivate a Spirit-Infused Workplace: Interview with Robin Szeliga | Ep 9

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Beyond Paychecks and Performance -- How Leaders Can Cultivate a Spirit-Infused Workplace: Interview with Robin Szeliga | Ep 9

For many, fostering well-being at the workplace historically equated to fitness or weight loss challenges. More recently, many companies have been integrating emotional well-being into their benefits programs by augmenting their mental health support offerings. However, what is often left out of these conversations is the spiritual component of workplace well-being.

Some people may bristle at this notion, thinking all we mean is religiosity at work. Spirituality is related to religion for many, and for others it also means finding meaning, value and inspiration beyond ourselves. How spiritual experiences like these show up at work can really make a difference in one’s satisfaction and happiness.

When we have a “spirit-infused workplace” our souls are nurtured, we have a sense of purpose, and we want to better our society and the world we live in. In this interview I speak with long-time friend Robin Szeliga. Robin has been studying the role of consciousness and self-awareness in leadership and how a richer inner life landscape can help transform a workplace that holds deep meaning and connection for its workforce.

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The Wounded Leader -- How Unresolved Trauma Impacts Executive Performance: Interview with Corey Jones | Ep 8

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The Wounded Leader -- How Unresolved Trauma Impacts Executive Performance: Interview with Corey Jones | Ep 8

Behind the masks of many of our most impactful leaders there is often a story

– a story of childhood trauma.

While the psychological insights of resilient childhood trauma survivors give them deep emotional intelligence into what makes other people do the things they do, many of these leaders do not talk about their trauma experiences.

What we know about unresolved childhood trauma is that it often has long-term lingering effects. As trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk says, “The Body Keeps the Score.” In other words, the terror and isolation that exists for many children at the core of their trauma significantly impacts the brain in a way that the effects show up later in life as intense anxiety, numbing, and rage.

One of the most important challenges for leaders who are healing from trauma is gaining the skills to regulate the emotions often hijack a traumatized brain. In this podcast, I interview the inspiring leader and trauma survivor Corey Jones. He shares these important actionable take-aways.

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The 6 "A"s of Advancing a Caring Culture at Work: Interview with Julius Rhodes | Ep 6

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The 6 "A"s of Advancing a Caring Culture at Work: Interview with Julius Rhodes | Ep 6

A when leaders are their authentic selves, they allow others to see more clearly their own self-identity. Isolating and concealing your true identity is exhausting – and wears on your well-being. When leaders are authentic and model their vulnerability through humility, they become more trustworthy. By building trust, they create psychologically safe teams.

In this podcast I speak with HR professional Julius Rhodes and how we can help drive a caring work culture.