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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. is 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 or on LinkedIn and more about the Broad Institute on its website.

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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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

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What happens when we acknowledge our full humanity in the workplace?

Fran Benjamin, Managing Partner at GoodWorks Consulting, delivers a masterclass in organizational transformation that challenges longstanding assumptions about leadership.

Fran offers a definition of compassion: "that moment in which one can no longer distinguish themselves from the other," and explores how this concept applies to modern organizational structures. Rather than viewing companies as collections of individual cogs, they advocate for seeing people as interconnected ecosystems where mutual benefit and reinforcement drive success.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn as Fran traces the evolution of leadership competencies through major historical events.

• During the Cold War, decisiveness reigned supreme.
• After 9/11, empathy emerged as crucial.
• The 2008 financial crisis elevated transparency.
• 2020's dual crises highlighted psychological safety.

Now, as we face what Fran calls the 2025 polycrisis, new leadership qualities are emerging: principled dissent (values-based courage), regenerative leadership, and coalition building.

For leaders hesitant to embrace compassion, there are tangible costs: increased employee attrition, legal liability, reduced market access, and diminished community impact. The antidote? Building systems that institutionalize compassionate leadership beyond individual personalities or initiatives.

Whether you're leading a Fortune 500 company or a community organization, this episode offers practical wisdom for creating more resilient, innovative, and human-centered workplaces. Join us to discover how acknowledging our full humanity (emotions, bodies, relationships and all) unlocks our collective potential.

Fran Benjamin (they/he/she) is the Managing Partner and Principal Consultant at Good Works Consulting, an organizational development, human capital consulting, and executive coaching firm. With 20 years of experience guiding organizational transformation and inclusive cultures, Fran has led global teams through 50+ successful engagements with clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. An MBA graduate from UCLA Anderson, Fran is also a certified Integral Coach, yoga instructor, and a somatics practitioner, blending professional rigor with creative and holistic approaches to leadership.

You can learn more about Fran on LinkedIn or email them at: fran@goodworks.consulting. Learn more about Good Works Consulting on the website: https://www.goodworks.consulting/

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