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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 violence events, studies show between 5-40 people suffer psychological injuries—yet these survivors remain largely unacknowledged. "People openly told me my experience didn't count," she shares, revealing how this invalidation creates a secondary trauma that compounds suffering. This stigma drives many trauma survivors into silence, delaying treatment and deepening isolation.

Our workplace environments significantly impact healing—we spend approximately 90,000 hours at work over our lifetimes, and research shows managers influence our mental health as much as spouses and more than therapists. Yet most workplaces remain ill-equipped to support employees dealing with trauma.

Good intentions aren't enough. Organizations need embedded structures that support psychological safety regardless of who manages a team.

Listen to this powerful episode to understand how workplace cultures can either accelerate or hinder healing, and discover practical ways to create environments where everyone—including trauma survivors—can bring their best selves to work every day.

Go to https://betterhelp.com/resilience or click Notes on Resilience during sign up for 10% off your first month of therapy with my sponsor BetterHelp.

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Producer / Editor: Neel Panji

Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity.

Please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us.

#trauma #resilience #compassion #MentalHealth #CompassionateLeadership #leadership #survivor

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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 my belief system," she reflects, challenging listeners to expand their understanding of human responsibility.

The conversation ventures into leadership accountability, the weaponization of resilience, and the courage required to acknowledge harm. She argues that institutional acknowledgment of wrongdoing is often the crucial first step that takes pressure and strain off a person who's experienced harm. And emphasizes that truly supporting others requires humility, deep listening, and recognition that there are few clear-cut answers in life's most important areas.

"It's short-sighted in assuming that being strong is somehow equated with being a good person," Alham observes, advocating instead for normalizing vulnerability both personally and professionally. This perspective offers a refreshing counterpoint to society's relentless pressure to demonstrate unwavering strength and fortitude.

Whether you're navigating personal trauma, leading an organization through crisis, or simply seeking to deepen your connection with fellow humans, this conversation offers practical wisdom for building what Alham describes as the muscle of empathy. Listen now and reconsider what we truly owe each other as we journey through life together.

Alham Saadat, M.S. was the Associate Director of Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) in Biomedical Research at the Broad Institute and the co-director of the Broad Bioethics Initiative, which fosters bioethical engagement within the Broad community. As a scientist, ethicist, and community leader, she strives to advance biomedical research and maximize its potential to improve patient outcomes, particularly for underserved communities.

You can learn more about Alham on LinkedIn.

Go to https://betterhelp.com/resilience or click Notes on Resilience during sign up for 10% off your first month of therapy with my sponsor BetterHelp.

Support the show

__________

Producer / Editor: Neel Panji

Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity.

Please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us.

#trauma #resilience #compassion #MentalHealth #CompassionateLeadership #leadership #survivor

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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 approach to leadership. As a CEO leading multiple companies and author of Profit Sharing: The Power of Shared Success, he explains why business relationships don't have to remain purely transactional. "When you are compassionate, when there's a relationship with your team members... business is easier and smoother," Rob explains, challenging the notion that professional success requires personal sacrifice.

The conversation reveals how Rob revolutionized his companies through profit-sharing as a way to create genuine alignment between business owners and employees. What's particularly refreshing is Rob's emphasis on simple, practical approaches to building workplace relationships. Rather than elaborate team-building events, he suggests brief walks with colleagues, shared lunches, or handwritten thank-you notes. These small investments yield massive returns through increased trust, better delegation, and stronger overall performance.

Whether you're a business owner feeling isolated at the top or a team member seeking more meaning at work, this episode offers a roadmap to more fulfilling professional relationships. As Rob powerfully states, "Whatever your measurement of success is, it really comes down to the number of lives that you affect every day and the quality of that influence that you have."

Rob Gallaher is CEO of Gallaher Co. and is passionate about profit sharing. He is the author of Profit Sharing: The Power of Shared Success and is launching an online course to teach others about profit sharing. You can learn more about Rob on his website, LinkedIn, or Facebook.

Go to https://betterhelp.com/resilience or click Notes on Resilience during sign up for 10% off your first month of therapy with my sponsor BetterHelp.

Support the show

__________

Producer / Editor: Neel Panji

Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity.

Please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us.

#trauma #resilience #compassion #MentalHealth #CompassionateLeadership #leadership #survivor