In the latest HCI Webinar, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Kelly L. Campbell about trauma-informed leadership. Below is a summary of the main points from their conversation! Check out the full episode and let us know what you think!
Watch the episode here:
Quick Recap
Jonathan and Kelly discussed the importance of trauma-informed leadership and self-care, emphasizing the need for leaders to manage their personal baggage to be effective in their roles. They explored the impact of unresolved trauma on leadership, relationships, and organizational culture, highlighting the importance of understanding and addressing trauma in the workplace. Kelly also shared their background as a trauma-informed leadership coach and encouraged the audience to reach out to her for more information.
Trauma-Informed Leadership and Self-Care
Jonathan discussed the importance of trauma-informed leadership and self-care, particularly for leaders who have experienced trauma. Kelly Campbell, a trauma-informed leadership coach, shared their background, including their previous role as a CEO and their current work as a coach and author. The discussion aimed to help leaders navigate and manage their personal baggage, ensuring they are effective and successful in their roles.
Unresolved Trauma's Impact on Leadership
Jonathan and Kelly discussed the impact of unresolved trauma on leadership and personal interactions. Jonathan highlighted that such trauma often operates on a subconscious level, affecting one's behavior and interactions without them realizing it. Kelly emphasized that trauma integration is crucial for effective leadership, but it requires a lifelong commitment to healing and can be challenging due to the fear of confrontation with one's past. They also discussed how unresolved trauma can manifest in various ways, such as rocky relationships, employee attrition, and people-pleasing or controlling leadership styles. The conversation ended with an understanding that the different manifestations of unresolved trauma demand different approaches to address them effectively.
Impact of Trauma on Individuals
Jonathan and Kelly discussed the impact of trauma on individuals and relationships. They emphasized that everyone experiences some form of trauma, whether big or small, and that it can be passed down through generations. They agreed that therapy and self-reflective practices can help address these traumas, but also highlighted the importance of somatic movement to release trauma stored in the body. They concluded that understanding and addressing trauma is a part of the human experience and can help individuals grow in character.
Integrating Emotions for Authentic Leadership
In the meeting, Kelly emphasized the importance of leaders taking responsibility to integrate their emotions, leading to a more authentic version of themselves and fostering trust among their teams. She discussed how vulnerability, compassion, and trust can improve organizational culture, profitability, and team performance. Kelly stressed that this approach is not about being therapists to employees but about being aware and supportive. She also highlighted the need to bring humanity back into the workplace and the potential for mass adoption of trauma-informed leadership. Kelly encouraged the audience to reach out to them for more information and to check out their book.
Listen to the webinar here:
