Most leaders try to manage a crisis with logic; it rarely works. In this episode of Leading Through Crisis, host Céline Williams sits down with Doug Noll — a former trial lawyer, peacemaker, and author of De-Escalate — who spent over a decade teaching maximum-security inmates how to stop fights before they start.

Doug breaks down the neuroscience of conflict: why 95% of the brain is emotional (not rational), why the prefrontal cortex shuts down under threat, and why leading through logic during a crisis is fighting biology itself.

He introduces a simple, research-backed technique called affect labeling (saying "you feel" and naming someone's emotion) that can calm a nervous system in under two minutes, whether you're in a boardroom, a family crisis, or a prison yard.

Along the way, Doug shares one of the most powerful stories from his 10 years working in California and Connecticut prisons: a woman serving a 25-to-life sentence who used this exact skill to reconnect with the son she had relinquished 18 years earlier.

If you're a business owner, executive, or leader who wants practical tools for leading through change, conflict, and crisis — not just theory — this conversation will change how you show up in every hard conversation you have next.

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Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA, is a lawyer-turned-peacemaker. He is an award-winning author, teacher, trainer, and highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. His training has included everything from teaching life inmates to be peacemakers and mediators in maximum-security prisons to training analysts at the Congressional Budget Office how to de-escalate members of Congress and staff.

You can learn more at https://dougnoll.com. The special site with resources for our listeners, https://dougnoll.co/crisis, goes live August 17th.

You can also connect with Doug on...
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougnoll/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DouglasNoll
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/douglasenoll/
Or subscribe to his YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtAHXdBT1Y0Pl7SGrM_HcFw

Doug's new book, Empathy Leadership, comes out at the beginning of September. Pre-order here: https://dougnoll.com/books/empathy-leadership

Leadership advisor and DEI expert Stacey Gordon returns to Leading Through Crisis to explain why diversity, equity, and inclusion should never be treated as a bolt-on "initiative," and why that mistake is exactly why so many companies have abandoned their DEI programs.

Stacey and host Céline Williams dig into why so many leaders struggle with flexibility and self-awareness, how communication breakdowns between managers and teams happen even when everyone has the best intentions, and why "inclusive leadership" is really just... good leadership.

They also unpack the biases quietly shaping hiring decisions, why leaders rarely get real feedback about how their teams actually experience them, and Stacey's free Leadership Reality Check quiz for anyone ready to find out the gap between how they think they lead and how their team sees them.

This conversation might just challenge how you think about communication, feedback, and what DEI actually means.

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Stacey Gordon is a globally recognized keynote speaker, leadership advisor, and workplace culture strategist who helps organizations build inclusive, high-performing workplaces as they navigate today’s evolving legal, social, and business landscape.

As the founder of Rework Work, Stacey partners with executive leaders, people managers, and HR and legal teams to strengthen talent systems, leadership capability, and workplace culture— relying on a foundation of legally sound, people-first approaches. Her work focuses on debiasing systems, developing inclusive leadership behaviors, and creating cultures of fairness, belonging, and accountability that benefit everyone.

Stacey is a frequent keynote speaker at HR, talent, and leadership conferences worldwide and has served as an adjunct professor at several universities. She is also a trusted voice in the broader business conversation, having provided subject matter expertise to Harvard Business Review, SHRM, Fast Company, Forbes, NPR, and BBC Radio.

She is the author of UNBIAS, a widely used resource for leaders globally, and the creator of the unconscious bias course on LinkedIn Learning, which was the #1 most-watched course on the platform in 2021, has been translated into multiple languages and has reached nearly two million learners worldwide.

You can learn more about Stacey and her work and grab the Leadership Reality Check assessment at reworkwork.com. You can also find her on Substack (https://reworkwork.substack.com/), LinkedIn (Linkedin.com/in/staceygordon), and Instagram (@ReworkWork).

See also CDO Action coalition at https://cdoaction.com.

What does trekking 17,000 feet to Everest Base Camp have to do with leading a business or team in today’s world? As it turns out, quite a lot!

In this episode, I sit down with Ketul Patel, a supply chain and business transformation expert and author of A Journey of Elevation, to unpack the leadership lessons forged on the trail to Everest Base Camp.

Ketul shares how the mountain became a mirror for everything leaders face today: constant crisis, the illusion of control, and the pressure to keep moving when the path forward is anything but clear.

After 30+ years leading organizational transformations and working alongside CEOs and executives navigating relentless change, Ketul found that a 12-day trek through the Himalayas – complete with mudslides, altitude sickness, a failed Plan A, a failed Plan B, and a grueling 19-hour Jeep ride – taught him more about resilient leadership than any boardroom ever could.

Whether you're leading a company through uncertainty, managing a team through change, or simply trying to figure out how to keep going when “the weather” won't cooperate, this conversation will challenge you to rethink what leadership really looks like under pressure.

And, Ketul leaves listeners with a powerful challenge: find your own Basecamp moment. Because growth, clarity, and self-knowledge don't require a mountain. They just require the courage to step outside your comfort zone.

Listen in!

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With a master’s degree from the University of Houston, Ketul Patel has made a lasting impact as both a seasoned corporate leader and a Big Four supply chain consultant, transforming global supply chains across retail, wholesale, and manufacturing.

As the founder and president of OMIIA Consulting, he serves as a business turnaround specialist and COO for companies seeking profitable growth and striving to scale toward Fortune 500 performance.

Patel has authored multiple white papers and blogs on supply chain thought leadership and is a speaker at supply chain conferences, known for blending strategic insight with real-world pragmatic execution to drive sustainable business success.

His debut book, A Journey of Elevation: Lessons for Business Transformation from Everest Base Camp, was released in January 2026.

Learn more about Ketul, or grab the book at omiiaconsulting.com/books or connect with him on LinkedIn.

What does it actually look like to lead people through a crisis — not just manage operations, but truly show up for the humans involved? In this episode of Leading Through Crisis, host Céline Williams sits down with Tracy Nolan, a Fortune 50 Senior Executive and global Board Leader with deep expertise in regulated industries, including healthcare and telecommunications.

Tracy has led through it all: the closure of 27 retail stores as the last executive standing, being on a plane landing at Newark on the morning of 9/11 while working for Verizon, and managing 14,000 Sprint employees through both COVID-19 and a simultaneous merger with T-Mobile. Her philosophy? Jump in (beyond the operational checklist, beyond what the job description says), and treat your people the way you'd want to be treated.

In this conversation, Tracy shares:

- Why most leaders fail at crisis communication (and what to do instead)
- How she ran "no-canned-questions" listening sessions that changed the way her teams trusted her
- The "CEO for a day" roundtable method she uses to stay connected to frontline reality
- Why feedback is a gift, regardless of your title
- A powerful trust exercise every leader should do with their team today

If you're a leader, executive, or manager who wants to build an organization that can not only survive a crisis but thrive through one, this episode is essential listening.

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Tracy Nolan is a Fortune 50 senior executive and global board leader with deep experience in regulated industries, including healthcare and telecommunications. She has overseen $6B+ in P&L's, led multi-billion dollar revenue transformations, and delivered sustainable value through M&A integrations, operating models redesigns, and risk-managed expansion.

Tracy currently serves as Senior Vice President, where she leads the Insurance sales organization and distribution strategy. Tracy has recently been named to the 50/50 Women to Watch for Boards list and serves as the Board Secretary for Dress for Success Worldwide. She is an advocate dedicated to "Inspiring Leaders to Lift while they Climb."

Connect with Tracy: tracynolan.com | LinkedIn: Tracy E. Nolan

The most surprising leadership insights may not be found where you'd expect…

In this episode, Céline sits down with Philip Atkinson, an organizational coach and beekeeper who has spent his career helping leaders around the world become better humans with better skills.

Philip is also the author of Bee Wise: 12 Leadership Lessons from a Busy Beehive, a beautifully written book structured across the four seasons, blending the science of bees with the very human challenges of leading an organization.

Philip and Céline explore why leadership is still so often rooted in command-and-control thinking – a model built for industrial-era machines, not the living, breathing organizations of today.

They dig into what it really means to lead without having all the answers, why "busy" has become a dangerous badge of honor, and how slowing down to sense your environment (the way a beekeeper reads a hive before lifting the lid) can change the quality of every conversation and decision you make.

They also get into the often-broken world of feedback: why so many leaders give it wrong, why the simple question "is now a good time?" is a game-changer, and how the bees' famous waggle dance is actually a masterclass in clear, consistent, repeated communication inside a noisy system.

If you're navigating constant change, holding your team together, and trying to lead well without pretending you have all the answers, this conversation is for you. Philip's message is simple and grounding: everyone deserves to be led well, and being a good leader starts with being a good human.

Bee Wise is available wherever you purchase books, with all proceeds going to Bees for Development, a charity supporting families in developing countries through sustainable beekeeping businesses. Learn more at beewisebook.com.

Connect with Philip on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/philipatkinsonhivelogic.

In this episode of Leading Through Crisis, Céline Williams sits down with Charles Vogl—leadership advisor, speaker, and author of The Art of Community—to challenge what we think we know about connection, adaptability, and resilience.

Together, they explore:

- Why most “team building” and networking fails
- The difference between connection vs. proximity
- How leaders can create real community (not just groups)
- Why resilience is NOT an individual skill
- The hidden mental health and loneliness crisis impacting organizations
- The concept of “campfire experiences” and how they transform teams
- Why phones, distractions, and forced fun are quietly destroying connection

Charles shares powerful insights from his work with organizations like Airbnb, Google, and the U.S. Army, revealing why strong relationships, not individual performance, are the foundation of leadership in high-stakes environments.

They also debunk some common assumptions and biases around connection events, like:

- People need to be entertained all the time
- It should look good in a photograph
- We can be fully present with the people in the room, with our phones and devices on

If you're a leader trying to cultivate deeper connections at work and build community and resilience on your team, this conversation is for you!

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Charles Vogl is an adviser, speaker, and the author of three books, including the international bestseller The Art of Community. He has worked with Google in several capacities, including as a trusted thought leader for the Google School for Leaders, which develops over 20,000 Google managers. His work is used to advise and develop leadership and programs worldwide within organizations, including Airbnb, LinkedIn, Twitch, Amazon, ServiceNow, Dow Inc. and the US Army. Charles holds an M.Div. from Yale, where he studied spiritual traditions, ethics, and business as a Jesse Ball duPont Foundation scholar.

To learn more about his work, download free community-building resources, and grab copies of his books, head to charlesvogl.com.

You can also connect with him on LinkedIn and Instagram (@charlesvogl).

What does leadership look like in moments of sustained uncertainty, high pressure, and constant change?

In this episode of Leading Through Crisis, Céline Williams speaks with Iranian human rights advocate Zolal Habibi about what it means to lead with clarity, courage, and conviction, especially when the cost of staying true to your values is high.

Drawing on her personal journey and decades of connection to Iran’s evolving social and political landscape, Zolal reflects on the leadership principles that sustain individuals and movements through prolonged periods of challenge. From the importance of standing firmly in your values to the role of personal responsibility in shaping collective outcomes, this conversation explores how leaders can stay grounded when navigating complexity and uncertainty.

Zolal shares perspectives on resilience, long-term thinking, and the power of purpose, alongside reflections on the role of women in leadership, the impact of lived values versus stated ideals, and how individuals can contribute meaningfully even in the face of overwhelming circumstances.

Together, they unpack questions that resonate far beyond any one context:

• How do you lead when the path forward is unclear?
• What does it take to remain anchored in your principles under pressure?
• How can individuals create meaningful change, even in difficult environments?

This episode is a thoughtful and nuanced exploration of leadership in times of crisis, offering insights for business owners, managers, and leaders navigating change in their own organizations and lives.

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Zolal Habibi is an Iranian human rights activist and a leading voice for justice, democracy, and women’s rights in Iran. She serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), where she works with policymakers, journalists, and international institutions to amplify the call for a free, secular, and democratic Iran.

For more than two decades, she has been a steadfast advocate for those silenced inside Iran—particularly women, youth, and political prisoners—bringing their stories to global platforms. Zolal’s commitment to this cause is deeply personal. When she was just seven years old, her father, a respected writer and political dissident, was killed by the Iranian regime in the summer of 1988; a summer marked by the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran. This tragedy shaped her life’s mission: to ensure that such crimes are neither forgotten nor repeated, and that the aspirations of the Iranian people for freedom and democracy are recognized worldwide.

Through her advocacy, media appearances, and international engagement, Zolal continues to champion the Iranian people’s struggle.

To learn more, visit maryamrajavi4change.com or connect with Zolal on Instagram (@ashrafi4ever) or LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/zolalhabibi/).

In this episode of Leading Through Crisis, host Céline Williams sits down with Ernesto Gómez, founder and CEO of Aspen Mindset1 and author of Regrowth: How Organizations Can Overcome Stalling by Unlocking Their People’s Potential.

Together, they explore how leaders can navigate today’s complex landscape—where crises are no longer occasional events but an ongoing reality.

Ernesto shares powerful insights on why organizations stall, how culture can either enable or block change, and why the real driver of performance lies within teams. He introduces the concept of “push vs. pull leadership” and explains how great leaders unlock potential not by applying pressure, but by creating the right conditions for people to thrive.

Through real-world examples and practical frameworks, the conversation explores how leaders can rethink their approach to decision-making, innovation, and team development in an era of accelerating change.

You’ll learn:
• Why crisis is becoming the new normal for leaders
• The three layers of organizations: products, capabilities, and culture
• How team dynamics drive organizational performance
• The difference between push leadership vs pull leadership
• Four cultural pillars that unlock team performance
• Why humility and psychological safety are critical leadership traits
• A practical framework for moving from stagnation to regrowth

If you're a leader navigating uncertainty, building high-performing teams, or trying to drive change in a rapidly evolving world, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on how leadership must evolve.

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Ernesto Gómez is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience, having built and led successful ventures across the food service industry in both the US and Mexico. Transitioning from a dynamic serial entrepreneur to a high-level corporate leader, he served as VP of Human Capital at Grupo Alfa, a major Mexican conglomerate with 83,000 employees, before becoming Chief Human Resources Officer at Sigma Alimentos, a global consumer packaged goods company with 43,000 employees. In these roles, he spearheaded global talent and cultural initiatives, playing a pivotal role in organizational transformation.

Ernesto is the author of Regrowth: How Organizations Can Overcome Stalling by Unlocking Their People’s Potential. Ernesto is a lifelong learner.

He studied social communications and has completed executive programs at leading institutions, including Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan School of Management, Wharton Business School, Kellogg School of Management, Chicago Booth, London Business School, and IMD Business School.

He is the founder and CEO of Aspen Mindset1, a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations and individuals reach peak performance. In 2024, Ernesto was invited as a guest speaker in the "Lead through Ambiguity" course at MIT Sloan School of Management.

To learn more about Ernesto’s work, head to aspenmindset1.com. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn (Ernesto Gómez Arzapalo) or Instagram (@aspenmindset_1).