[Trauma-Informed] Leadership Uncensored Dr. Dawn Emerick

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 Mind
The Future of Workplace Mental Health
Given 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 Tol
Daryl 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.