Mental Health for Leaders

A large majority of adults have experienced trauma in their lives that they carry with themselves daily. Unfortunately, the pandemic has only increased the number of adults in the workforce who now suffer from mental health issues such as PTSD. As leaders, how do we respond when these mental health issues show symptoms or limitations at work?Today I’m joined by Dan Jolivet, who you may remember from the SHRM Round-up I did earlier this year. In our conversation today, Dan and I discuss trauma-informed management, and how it can open up a world of possibilities for your people when you can adapt to their needs.Trauma-informed management is all about understanding how to react to trauma responses while keeping healthy, appropriate boundaries in the workplace. You don’t need to know everything about every mental health issue out there, and Dan shares easy-to-implement strategies you can use to help people who have been traumatized feel like they can bring their whole selves to work. When people feel like they are psychologically safe and belong, they will unlock their full potential.Listen in!About Dan Jolivet:Dan is the Workplace Possibilities Practice Consultant at The Standard, where he provides leadership, analysis, and consultative insights into the Workplace Possibilities service line. He is a designated subject matter expert on Stay at Work and Return to Work services, ADA, and behavioral health. He is a clinical psychologist licensed in Georgia and Oregon, and he has worked in behavioral health since 1980. Prior to joining The Standard, Dan worked in managed behavioral health care organizations for 20 years in a variety of management roles, and he was in clinical practice as a child psychologist until 2003.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:The StandardConnect with Dan on LinkedInSHRM 2022 Round-upWhat Happened to You? By Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah WinfreyJoin the monthly digital subscription

Many entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses to sell. They have an idea, find out how to implement it, hire the team to do the work, then they’re off to their next big idea.But the missing piece is the health of the organization. And since people make up 95% of the work in most companies, the health of those employees is of utmost importance.Team productivity and wellness is so much more than hiring the right talent for the right positions. I think we’ve all come to understand that mental health plays a pivotal role in team wellness. Organizations have been coming around and finding ways to support employees in all areas of their lives, but are they doing enough?This week on the podcast, I’m talking with podcast host and business consultant Martin Hunter about what questions organizations need to ask before thinking about selling. He shares his thoughts on changing the negative connotation that “mental health” has historically had, what leadership actually looks like, what generation is doing a better job at caring for the people in their organizations, what skills leaders are lacking, and so much more.About Martin Hunter:Martin Hunter is an energetic, authentic and engaging leader with the ability to inspire people of all ages and walks of life. Modelling the way, he aligns all stakeholders to common values and creates singularity of purpose.Martin brings his military experience to the business world. This structure and precision translates directly into operational excellence of safe, on-time, on-budget and on-spec delivery. Managing risk and addressing every challenge systemically, this balance between effective decision making and efficient systems provides his client the organizations the ability to quickly adapt to changing needs and opportunities, while sustaining quality business operations and brand value.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:URGEOWhat CEOs Talk About podcastConnect with Martin on LinkedInJoin the monthly digital subscription

We know how important taking time off from work is. It allows us to disconnect from work, spend time with family, create new experiences, explore some creative interests. It’s good for our emotional and mental well being. But for some people, taking time off is stressful. Maybe they’re buried under debt so the thought of taking a vacation is a distant dream. Or maybe they just have so much built up paid time off (PTO) from, say, working in healthcare nonstop due to COVID. It feels really stressful to think you built up a huge bank of PTO because you showed up as you should, only to potentially lose it because you don’t use it.This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Rob Whalen, CEO of PTO Exchange, an organization that helps organizations create solutions for employees to self-direct the value of their unused paid time off for other needs and causes. There are so many options that can create a culture of support and meeting employees where they are right now.In the episode, we talk about different types of PTO exchange, why supporting employees in this way can reduce turnover, the value of bringing different roles into the organization’s customer experience, and more. It’s such a practical and needed way to meet the customized needs of every team member.About Rob Whalen:Rob Whalen is the co-founder and CEO of PTO Exchange, the leading benefits platform that allows employees to self-direct the value of their unused paid time off for other needs and causes. He is a serial entrepreneur that has over 25 years selling and developing software and hardware products, and a BA in accounting from Seattle University.While building the company, Rob and his co-founder, Todd Lucas, found their mission was to enable flexibility into those benefits that employees earned but could not utilize. They also discovered that by enabling this capability and accountability, PTO Exchange created equity and inclusion for workers to be compensated for their accrued productivity creating a better benefit.PTO Exchange was selected as a “Cool Vendor of the year” by Gartner in 2017 and awarded “Awesome New Technologies" at the Health and Benefits Leadership Conference in 2018.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:PTO ExchangeThe Dream Manager by Matthew KellyJoin the monthly digital subscription

Who says compassion doesn’t belong at work? Not Laura Berland, founder and executive director of the non-profit Center for Compassionate Leadership. For Laura (and, frankly, me), compassion has a very central place in the workplace and leadership.Though there are skeptics, there is scientific evidence that compassion in the workplace supports more productive teams and more profits for the organization. But the compassion gets to start from within and this is a skill that can be taught - you can cultivate compassion within yourself and it starts with taking care of yourself first.On this episode, Laura and I talk about the difference between compassion and empathy, why there are skeptics out there, how to meet those skeptics where they’re at, why vulnerability is so important, what it means to be a compassionate leader, and so much more.We need more conversations like this, rather than those where we’re trying to convince others to think our way. Everyone has their own path and their own timeline. Hopefully, with more conversations and evidence around the benefits of compassion, those skeptics will become believers. Until then, listen in and be a positive role model for change!About Laura Berland:Laura Berland is the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit Center for Compassionate Leadership. Through community, education, and research, the Center supports leaders as catalysts to open hearts and minds to our shared common humanity, and to urgently develop solutions to global crises and suffering at scale. The Center’s groundbreaking approach brings evidence-based principles of modern leadership and the latest scientific research together with the wisdom of contemplative practices. Laura developed the research proven Compassionate Leadership Model, which has been the foundation for engaging thousands of leaders from over 60 countries to embrace the practice of compassion from the inside out.For over 40 years, Laura has been a weaver of transformative organizations and experiences, as a serial tech entrepreneur, Fortune 500 executive, meditation educator, yoga therapist, master facilitator, non-profit board member, executive advisor, and digital media creator. Laura is an alumna of Cornell University and New York University.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Center for Compassionate LeadershipConnect with the Center for Compassionate Leadership on LinkedIn and TwitterFollow the Center for Compassionate Leadership on Instagram and FacebookBook your From Burnout to Hope talkJoin the monthly digital subscription

We know the importance of taking care of our team members in the day-to-day work. But we forget what that looks like in the big transitions that occur during systems overhauls, large acquisitions, and even leadership changes.During these times, leadership, management, and employees are under a lot of stress, often for different reasons. Leadership and management is busy making sure that things roll out smoothly. And while some employees are strapped with making sure business as usual still happens, others are deep in the changes while also trying to keep up with their regular responsibilities.Organizational norms are to put your head down and power through the work. But a lack of communication and added stress weighs on everyone’s mental health. What happened to the idea of people-powered change management?A better option would be to bring on a consultant to support the transition and serve as a kick stand for leaders and employees alike. Sara Sheehan is one such consultant. And this week on the podcast, we’re talking about why big transformations in organizations fail, the value of coaching for executives, and why employee engagement is so important.About Sara Sheehan:Sara Sheehan, PCC, is a consultant and Executive Coach who works with C-Level executive leaders designing organizations, developing business strategies, managing change, optimizing talent and leadership development, and solving complex human performance problems. Through executive coaching, Sara helps leaders sprint their way up the corporate ladder and increase their performance.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Sara Sheehan ConsultingConnect with Sara on LinkedInThe Hard Side of Change Management - HBR articleJoin the monthly digital subscription

Offering leadership training and development is essential in the workplace, for organizations of all sizes. But it must be training grounded in small behaviors, rather than big and sweeping changes so the training has lasting impact.You’ve been there: sitting in a training room, listening to a presentation that encompasses so much information--good information--but the next day you’re challenged to remember any of it. The training wasn’t set up for success. This week on the podcast, I’m talking to McKendree Hickory of Life Labs Learning, an organization dedicated to ensuring that leadership training makes the biggest impact in the shortes time possible. In our conversation, McKendree and I talk about forming habits, giving and receiving feedback, why leaders need to learn to ask good questions, why we should do away with the term “inclusive leadership” and more.As a leadership trainer myself, I appreciate McKendree’s take on why training needs to start long before the training actually starts, and how to accomplish this.About McKendree Hickory, PhD:McKendree supports the development and direction of the Life Labs Learning facilitation team. She has a PhD in Industrial Organizational Psychology, with a research focus on conviction, women’s leadership development, and developmental experiences in the workplace. She has delivered leadership training at over 300 companies and led learning and development at the fully remote company, InVision.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Connect with McKendree on LinkedInLife Labs LearningMental Health Skills TrainingJoin the monthly digital subscription

It’s time to start putting the humanity back in the workplace (if it was there in the first place), and that’s exactly what Cerys Cook and Swift Medical are doing. While mental health and wellness has always been on Swift’s radar, some new standard actions across the board are part of its new initiative to be people-centered and normalize mental health conversations at work.Health and wellness benefits goes well beyond health insurance and time to attend doctor’s appointments. It’s about checking in on how you’re feeling and ensuring that your team leaders know you’re human. That sounds simple, but when many organizations are (rightfully) focused on the bottom line, it’s typical to leave conversations about feelings out of the conversation. But when we take a few moments to check in each week, we can support one another for the benefit of team members and the organization as a whole.Imagine that!In our conversation, Cerys and I talk about the evolution of this practice at Swift, why Swift has so few policies around this work, and what it feels like to be a human resources professional right now. And Cerys gives us a great example of how to get the buy-in from leadership when you’re bringing the idea of mental health conversations to them.This is a must-listen and such a refreshing approach to mental health in the workplace.About Cerys Cook:Cerys is the Chief People Officer at Swift Medical leading people strategy, employer branding and team member experiences. Cerys has always held a profound passion for changing the face of “HR” from the principal’s office to being deeply embedded in core company strategy. She has spent over 20 years working in the start-up / scale-up space directly with CEO's, creating award winning inclusive workplaces and augmenting strong values-based cultures.Mentioned in This Episode of Mental Health in Minutes:Swift MedicalConnect with Cerys on LinkedInMental Health Skills TrainingJoin the monthly digital subscription

Have you ever taken a moment to look at who is championing empathy in the workplace? Who’s demonstrating empathy and talking about feelings and who might be hiding behind their computer screens?It probably comes as no surprise that it’s typically women and female-identifying team members who talk about and demonstrate empathy in the workplace. This is a societal issue that started long before sexism and misogyny were recognized.This week on the podcast, I’m talking with social science researcher and empathy pioneer Karla McLaren, M.Ed. about why this is and how we can shift some workplace dynamics to create safe environments where everyone has the emotional vocabulary to talk about their feelings and manage their emotions.In the episode, Karla shares how to fix the conditioning of gender expectations around emotions and where we can find an emotional vocabulary list so we can get in tune with our own emotions.About Karla McLaren:Karla McLaren, M.Ed. is an award-winning author, social science researcher, and empathy pioneer. Her work focuses on her grand unified theory of emotions, which revalues even the most “negative” emotions and opens startling new pathways into self-awareness, effective communication, and healthy empathy. She is the founder and CEO of Emotion Dynamics Inc. and the developer of the Empathy Academy online learning site.Karla is the author of The Power of Emotions at Work: Accessing the Vital Intelligence in Your Workplace (2021), Embracing Anxiety: How to Access the Genius of this Vital Emotion (2020), The Dynamic Emotional Integration® Workbook (2018), The Art of Empathy: A Complete Guide to Life’s Most Essential Skill (2013), The Language of Emotions: What Your Feelings are Trying to Tell You (2010), and many other books and audio learning programs. She is online at KarlaMcLaren.com and EmpathyAcademy.org. You can connect with Karla on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Access Karla’s Emotional Vocabulary ListJoin the monthly digital subscriptionhttps://karlamclaren.com/emotional-vocabulary-page/Where to ListenSpotifyAppleGoogleAmazon

Everyone wants to be understood and heard and it’s usually a lack of listening and understanding that breeds conflict. No matter where it happens, conflict creates stress and unhealthy situations--something none of us should have to endure. The solution? If a conflict can’t be resolved, conflict resolution is the answer. But that doesn’t mean having the two people in conflict sitting down with a manager or in-house HR professional. Bias happens, and even if it’s perceived bias, it’s important for all parties involved to feel safe and that the mediator is neutral.That’s where someone like Dr. Wes Thiessen of Understanding the Other comes in. And misunderstandings and conflict is exactly what we’re talking about on this week’s episode.Wes shares why a third party is often best for conflict resolutions, how an HR professional can communicate when a third party is necessary, and why resolving conflict quickly is in everyone’s best interests.About Dr. Wes Thiessen:After many years of living in Muslim majority contexts, Wes is involved in intercultural, multi-faith dialogue with respect, dignity and honour for each participant. He is engaged in facilitating mutual understand and respect through a sincere understanding of the culture and beliefs of others. He has a high level of understanding of Islam, Christianity and Judaism through not only an academic perspective, but through also living in those contexts in a long-term setting. He is currently serving as part-time Pastor at Dalemead Church in Dalemead, AB, just outside of Calgary.An experienced educator, he has been involved in and taught learning language and culture through in-depth relationship with others who live life with intention. Connect with Wes on LinkedIn.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Connect with Wes on LinkedInEmail WesJoin the monthly digital subscriptionWhere to ListenSpotifyAppleGoogleAmazon

Studies show that when employees find meaning in their work, they’re happier, more productive, more creative, and have higher wellbeing. And while individual employees need to do their part in finding that meaning, there’s only so much they can do without the support of their leadership. Since we work in communities, wellbeing and meaning are shared responsibilities, and leaders need to be intentional about their part in it if they want to set up their businesses for higher success.This week I’m joined by Tamara Myles and Wes Adams, who together have researched how leaders can make work more meaningful for their teams, and why it’s so imperative for success and workplace mental health that they do. They’re here to share tangible ideas and strategies leaders can use, and they break it down into simple objectives that can be implemented starting today.Listen in to hear more as Wes and Tamara talk about meaningful work, intentional leadership, and individual wellbeing in the workplace.About Tamara Myles:Tamara helps leaders make work meaningful to engage employees and improve business performance.Her approach blends the latest research in Positive and Organizational Psychology with evidence-based strategies to deliver solutions that yield tangible business results. She focuses on organizational transformation and leadership development and has worked with high-performing organizations like Black Rock, Microsoft, KPMG, Unilever, and Best Buy.Tamara is the author of The Secret to Peak Productivity: A Simple Guide to Reaching Your Personal Best, which is published globally and has been translated to multiple languages. Her work has been featured in Business Insider, Forbes, and USA Today, among others.Tamara lives in New England with her husband, three teenage children, and two dogs. She loves to cook and is in awe of the power of food to bring people together for deep, meaningful connection.About Wes Adams:Wes works with high-performing companies on organizational transformation, leadership development, and employee engagement. He helps both experienced and emerging leaders alike develop the skills and practices that bring out the best from their teams by fostering cultures that enable employees to find meaning and purpose in their work.He brings two decades of experience growing successful ventures and consulting for Fortune 500s, startups, and NGOs. Past clients include Microsoft, KPMG, Edelman, Harrah’s Entertainment, JP Morgan Chase, NetJets, Sony, Starwood Hotel Group, the United Nations Office of Human Rights, and Warner Brothers. Wes’s work has been covered by the New York Times, Forbes, Business Insider, Fast Company, and others.Wes is also a Master Facilitator for the Penn Resilience Program, and has been a featured speaker at South by Southwest Interactive and the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Passionate about social impact, Wes produced a documentary for HBO, The Out List, and a book of interviews about the environmental crisis, I Am EcoWarrior.A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Wes holds a Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania. He lives in Atlanta.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:SV Consulting GroupTamara Myles ConsultingConnect with Wes on LinkedInConnect with Tamara on LinkedInJoin the monthly digital subscriptionWhere to ListenSpotifyAppleGoogleAmazon

Compassion and empathy are two words that are used interchangeably, and neither are necessarily accepted in the workplace. Sure, we all know the importance of taking personal experiences and challenges into consideration. But these are loaded words that aren’t always accepted.The thing is, compassion and empathy are two different things. Compassion is about recognizing someone else’s suffering while empathy is the response to that suffering. Compassion is inherent; humans naturally have this quality…until it’s trained out of us. And that is a tragedy.This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Jane M. Chun, PhD about encouraging leaders and teams to be human at work by practicing compassion on the job. There’s a whole field of compassion science and a movement toward more compassion and it felt so good to talk to someone whose whole career is built on compassion.In the episode, we talk about how leaders can be intentional about cultivating compassion, why changing your thinking about compassion might feel challenging, the difference between compassion and empathy, and why compassion is such a loaded word.About Jane M. Chun, PhD:Jane M. Chun is the Program Director overseeing Compassion Institute’s work in the health and systems transformation sectors. Jane’s expertise includes program development, change facilitation, partnership development, and research and learning.Jane has worked with intergovernmental and nonprofit organizations including UNICEF, UNDP, IOM, and Search for Common Ground, and has conducted research for institutions such as The Brookings Institution, Oxford Refugee Studies Center, and Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.Throughout the pandemic, Jane and her team have supported the mental health of healthcare and public health workers on the front lines of the pandemic. Through her experience in a range of settings, she has come to believe that deep social and systems transformation can only occur hand-in-hand with inner transformation. Focusing primarily on WHAT we do is not enough. We need to also inquire into HOW and WHY we do that work.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Compassion InstituteConnect with Jane on LinkedInSeason 5 Episode 1: Live the Life You LoveMental Health Skills TrainingJoin the monthly digital subscriptionWhere to ListenSpotifyAppleGoogleAmazon

Not all trainings and workshops are created equally, as I’m sure you can attest to. Meeting your audience where they’re at, using language that they can relate to, is key.But leaders aren’t born with the language they need to lead, and they often aren’t taught it either. So we need to turn to tools and resources to help us out.This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Ken Cameron and Russell Stratton about their new book, I Need to F**king Talk to You: The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations and the trainings they do in organizations. Psychological safety isn’t a new conversation, but there’s definitely more attention being paid to it and organizations are finally starting to seek out solutions. But like we’ve said here before, “trainings” with someone talking from the stage isn’t going to crate change in leaders or team members. Instead, we need to create safe spaces where people can both practice having difficult conversations so the learnings transfer into the real workplace.Ken, Russell, and I talk through what this looks like and why front line workers in the trades are so good at it.About Russell Stratton:As the "Leadership Champ" Russell helps leaders EXCITE© their teams about their work. He believes that every leader has the potential to improve individual and team performance in their workplace. However, during his work with a great many leaders over 30 years, across a range of businesses, he's found that there is one particular challenge that holds them back - being able to have difficult conversations with team members, co-workers or even their boss.About Ken Cameron:One of Ken’s clients gave him the title “Facilitator of Thinking Differently”, and he’s proudly hung onto it ever since. Thinking Differently began in Ken’s first career as one of Canada’s most successful playwrights, directors and festival programmers. The unique combination allows him to create interactive and engaging sessions that result in key insights and eureka moments for your team.Ken comes to his creative approach as a consultant facilitator honestly. In addition to a Master of Fine Arts degree Ken is one of Canada's most successful playwrights, directors and arts administrators. Since 2012, Ken has used his creative background to design sessions that draw out all participants, especially the most introverted, who rarely have the opportunity to share their thoughts. He uses his administrative experience and endless curiosity, to fully understand the business so he can reframe your focus and increase your profitability. The unique combination leads to interactive and engaging sessions that result in key insights and eureka moments.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:I Need to F***ing Talk to You: The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations by Russell Stratton and Ken CameronAmy Edmonson on Psychological SafetyJoin the monthly digital subscriptionWhere to ListenSpotifyAppleGoogleAmazon

How leaders show up matters. Many are on board with performing at a higher level and encouraging their teams to do the same. Unfortunately, organizations feel that they need to “fix” employees quickly so they embrace one-and-done training programs that ultimately don’t work.Clearing the mental mess and engaging in transformational change takes dedication and practice. The best wellness and mindset practices take time to become habits, especially when you want them to stick.This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Rico Gomez, mental health coach to high performing athletes and corporate leaders. He shares more about the process of building habits that result in resilient leaders and trusting teams and how you too can clear your own mental mess!There’s a lot of knowledge in this episode, including the value of accountability, leading teams to success, keeping senior leadership engaged, and the difference between between your brain and your mind.It’s about the tools your leaders have and receive, and it’s within all of them to grow.About Rico Gomez:Certified in mental health with a background of psychology and counselling, Rico Gomez is a mental health coach.His passion is to help working professionals become unstuck from the mental chaos in order experience life to the fullest. Rico’s drive for mental health and well-being stems from his own battle with mental illness and being able to overcome the barriers of anxiety and depression.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:NeuroFitConnect with Rico on LinkedInMental Health Skills TrainingJoin the monthly digital subscriptionWhere to ListenSpotifyAppleGoogleAmazon

It’s great that employers are starting to offer mental health care in their benefits packages for employees, but not enough are on board with supporting their families’ mental health. One thing parents want more than anything is to know their kids are okay and are getting the help they need. Thankfully, the tide might be turning in this arena. This week on the podcast, Haleigh Tebben of U.S.-based Brightline is sharing about how her organization is supporting children and how that’s making all the difference at work.The stigma around getting mental health support is going away, especially after COVID, but parents spend more time and money finding resources to help their children than they do for themselves. It feels like a no-brainer to take this off of parents’ plates so they can focus on themselves, which ultimately benefits their organization too.About Haleigh Tebben:Haleigh Tebben is the Chief Commercial Officer of Brightline, the leader in technology-enabled pediatric behavioral health care. In her role, she oversees all revenue-generating areas of the company, including sales, implementation, client success, marketing and health plan partnerships.Haleigh has over 20 years of experience in the health benefits and consulting industries. She previously served as the Chief Revenue Officer of Collective Health, a technology platform which enables employers to better manage their self-funded healthcare benefits. Prior to that, she led the Mercer Health & Benefits Practice in CA. She holds an MBA from UNO and received her undergraduate degree from Creighton University. Connect with Haleigh on LinkedIn.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:BrightlineFollow Brightline on Facebook and InstagramConnect with Brightline on LinkedIn and TwitterJoin the monthly digital subscriptionWhere to ListenSpotifyAppleGoogleAmazon

Leaders get to where they are because of their resiliency and drive. Their no-nonsense attitudes and their tireless approach to growth and development. Right?Maybe. But that kind of drive can also lead to burnout if leaders aren’t careful about taking care of their whole selves. High stress jobs can lead to sleepless nights, missed meals, putting off exercise, poor nutrition, dehydration, myriad health problems, and more. Too much of that and leaders will find themselves just barely getting by.If this sounds all too familiar, you’ll want to tune into this week’s podcast episode with performance coach Deepak Saini. Staying healthy while performing at the peak of your professional career isn’t as difficult as it might feel. It takes some habit stacking, paying attention to your energy, and trying out things that help you decompress so you can get the most important thing to your health…a good night’s sleep.About Deepak Saini:Deepak Saini is a performance coach who knows what it is like to have a stressful corporate job, raising a family and trying to do the right things for his health.Eventually suffering from an autoimmune condition and injured back, these two health challenges ultimately became a turning point for him.He overcame those issues as well as his lifelong battle with obesity and brings a unique perspective to working with his clients.When this father of two is not spending time with his wife and little girls, he is researching and staying at the forefront of emerging and cutting-edge performance research.Deepak is also a speaker, course instructor, published writer and actively working on becoming a Centenarian.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Season 2 Episode 9: Leadership Skills that Build Resilient Teams with Charmaine HammondEmail DeepakConnect with Deepak on LinkedInDeepak Saini HealthMental Health Skills TrainingJoin the monthly digital subscription

Technology can acquire a bad reputation in circles where the culture is all about people first. (Side note: All cultures should put people first.) But what people don’t always consider is that technology can help us ensure our people are well taken care of and that our human resources team members aren’t burdened with work that could actually be automated.After all, our HR staff members are people too.This week on the podcast, Kristie Dierig and I are talking about all the ways that technology can support the people in organizations, how to empower our HR leaders, and how psychological safety might look and feel different for remote teams. And all of this comes back to accountability. Who is responsible for the psychological safety of talent and how can managers, who may not be trained communicators, be more supportive of team members without looking and sounding performative?So many great insights into leading in the 21st century.About Kristie Dierig:Kristie is an experienced corporate HR director turned entrepreneur and consultant, on a mission to elevate HR’s impact by putting people first and bringing HR trends to life. Connect with her on LinkedIn.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Ever SparkJoin the monthly digital subscription

Your workplace is a giant learning laboratory, where we can study human behavior and changes over time. And that’s exactly what this week’s guest, Dr. Tiffany Jana, Doc Jana, has been doing over the last 25 years.Doc Jana does JEDI work with organizations, though not the kind you might be thinking of. JEDI is justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and according to Doc Jana, most people didn’t know what this work even was a handful of years ago.Today, it seems like everyone is talking about diversity work, and they should. But too many leaders and organizations are confused about what it should look like. Performative diversity hiring isn’t fair for anyone, and leaders who don’t recognize their own biases (which we all have) are part of the problem.What’s the solution? Doing the work. And this is just part of my conversation with Doc Jana. We can’t keep “checking the boxes;” we need to be clear about who we’re serving and how we can best do that by creating benchmarks that make sense, then following through with them.There’s always something to learn when it comes to diversity and the evolution of business. And this episode is no exception.About Dr. Tiffany Jana:Dr. Tiffany Jana (they/them/hers) is the founder and CEO of TMI’s Portfolio companies, now celebrating 19 years championing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). Doc Jana spearheaded the TMI Consulting Inc.’s transition into the world’s first Certified Benefit Corporation (B Corp) with a diversity accountability focus. Doc Jana was awarded the B Corp community’s highest honor, the Tal Haussig Award, for blazing a path towards JEDI values in action.As the Founder of TMI’s Portfolio of companies, Doc Jana helps position the enterprise and our teams to best serve our myriad, complex client engagements. Doc Jana's vision is to redefine the future of inclusion; to manifest equity by creating an accountable, loving embrace of people and culture that includes an emphasis on liberation through joy. The workplace can and should be a welcoming, safe, and healthy environment where employees can thrive and grow. Doc Jana has been featured in numerous publications and media including Fast Company, NY Times, and Forbes for their work on diversity, equity, empowerment, and inclusion.They’ve done a TEDx on privilege and were named one of the Top 100 Leadership Speakers by Inc.com. Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions by Tiffany JanaOvercoming Biases: Build Authentic Relationships Across Differences by Tiffany JanaTMI ConsultingDoc JanaSeeking Equanimity PodcastJoin the monthly digital subscription

How do you define wellbeing? It has a lot of different meanings, and it really depends on what lens you’re looking through. That brings a challenge to organizations or teams that are trying to do the work.Many organizations have taken roles in human resources and tacked on “wellbeing” supervisor responsibilities. They know they need someone in that role but aren’t really willing to dedicate the necessary resources. And depending on what experience that new wellbeing professional has, this looks wildly different, even within different teams in the same organization.What can be done about this? Actually defining what wellbeing and wellness mean and creating space and time for the person in the role to perform effectively in this role.But to get to that point, the organization and its leaders need to be on board with the investment of time, talent, and resources. This week on the podcast, we’re talking to Sarah McGuinness and Chris Hewitt of Revolutionaries of Wellbeing about changes in corporate wellness programs, why being proactive benefits everyone, and how to look at wellness through a different lens.About Sarah McGuinness:Sarah McGuinness is a wellbeing disruptor, burnout awareness advocate and Founder/CEO of Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW). ROW helps wellbeing leaders to be change makers and to create better workplaces, together. With a community of wellbeing champions from organisations around the globe, ROW is dedicated to helping leaders to develop professional expertise, access practical tools and resources, and network with peers and experts to meaningfully improve wellbeing.Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in corporate wellbeing and behaviour change and has supported well-known organisations to improve the wellbeing of their people, including Sealord, the NHS, nib and Weta.She draws on her honours degree in psychology and degree in communication, training in health behaviour, coaching, fitness and facilitation, plus a 15+ year career in the corporate sector specialising in leadership and organisational development in Australia and New Zealand.She is a passionate mental health and wellbeing champion and is determined to reduce stigma and improve conversations around mental health, particularly with having lived experience of burnout, anxiety, and fibromyalgia. She has been featured in the media including on Stuff, NBR, Newshub/TV3, MiNDFOOD, Newstalk ZB and RNZ. Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn.About Chris Hewitt:Chris is ROW's Commercial Partnerships Manager and brings 15 years of experience in the professional development and events fields, with his most recent previous role managing a commercial portfolio of publications and events in the health, safety and wellbeing industry. He brings a wealth of programme management and commercial partnership experience, and has strong networks across the health, safety and wellbeing sectors both in New Zealand and overseas.He cares deeply about workplace wellbeing and is passionate about helping businesses lift their wellbeing performance. Connect with Chris on LinkedIn.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW)Join the monthly digital subscription

We talk about psychological safety a lot, but what does it even mean? That was the question Dave Sewell asked himself as he struggled in his former consulting gig. He watched teams leave toxic environments and it triggered something in him. Psychological aggression, the opposite of feeling safe at work, was running rampant among his clients. So he made a change. Before he truly defined psychological safety, he wrote the book on it. This week on the podcast, Dave and I talk about the science behind psychological aggression and why even subtle behaviors and responses can create an environment that doesn’t feel safe. And he shares how to flip that narrative by recognizing the inherent good in others. This all starts at the leadership level, where leaders recognize the power of their own body language so they can take more ownership of their team behavior and performance.It’s such an interesting conversation with real-world examples of what happens when we set out to work with humans, not grizzly bears!About Dave Sewell:Coming from a family of alcoholism and violence and being subjected in his early career to shame and ridicule, Dave has been fascinated why some leaders rule with the stick whilst other don’t and why do companies have both types of leaders within their organisation at the same time?His research around high performing teams, in particular what causes dysfunctional teams, bullying and office politics is at the leading edge of our understanding. Dave demonstrates how to overcome these by embracing psychological safety, something that should be at the core of all leadership training.When he’s not talking about leadership and helping teams, Dave spends his free time with his family; his wife Kirsty and his two sons Lachlan and Jamie.  His other interests are meditating and energetic healing, hiking, mountain biking and Xbox gaming. Connect with Dave on LinkedIn and follow him on Facebook.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Join the monthly digital subscriptionSafe Leadership: Beating Stress to Drive Performance by Dave SewellThe Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy EdmonsonThe Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni

Toxic workplaces persist, even in the face of organizations working in DEIB and trying to create cultures of organizational safety. The challenge is that there’s a knowledge gap. It’s difficult to hold individual leaders accountable for their behaviors when it’s normalized for them.The problem isn’t a lack of knowledge and doesn’t require a training of our leaders; it’s an unlearning that needs to happen, a gaining of wisdom that only happens through talking to others about how you and your behavior impacts them.On this week’s podcast, Dr. Kevin Sansberry II and I are talking about how to eliminate toxic workplaces, why they persevere, and what lived experiences and privilege has to do with it.One of the big messages to take away from this episode is that if it matters to one person, it matters. So if one person recognizes there’s a disconnect in behavior or communication, leaders need to own that and do something about it.This is a powerful conversation, and when we own our behaviors and shift our mindsets, we can make Mondays a whole lot less stressful.About Dr. Kevin Sansberry II:Dr. Kevin Sansberry II is a behavioral scientist and executive coach whose inspiring work is driven by the need for evidence-based, inclusive, and equitable approaches to urgently and proactively transform and coach leaders, eradicating toxic behaviors that threaten profitability, innovation, and the overall wellbeing.Kevin is regularly sought after to speak, consult, and coach organizations around the world related to his expertise in toxic leadership and toxic organizational culture.Kevin has experience in various settings such as professional sports, higher education, nonprofits, sales, and other large complex organizations. Kevin has written extensively on topics in various areas such as CEO narcissism, abusive supervision, workplace authenticity and is the creator and host of the top podcast focused on toxic leadership, The Toxic Leadership Podcast which reached as high as the number four nonprofit podcast in the United States in 2021.Kevin earned his doctorate in business administration from The University of Missouri-St. Louis where he focused on the impact of abusive supervision on organizational culture/climate, and employee coping behaviors. Kevin received his MBA from The University of Missouri-Kansas City with an emphasis in leadership & change in human systems and general management and his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Central Missouri.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:360 Degree TemplateMental Health Skills TrainingJoin the monthly digital subscription