In this episode of The Growth Signal, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Rachel Provan—leadership coach, CS expert, and psychology nerd—to explore why the human element is vanishing from modern business and what we can do about it. Rachel argues that corporate culture has become emotionally abusive, treating employees like disposable cogs instead of people with real needs, fears, and ambitions.

They unpack the psychological roots of fear-based leadership, how our brains are wired to resist change, and why logic often takes a back seat to emotion, even in B2B. Rachel shares practical frameworks for coaching first-time managers, aligning teams without micromanagement, and making room for self-actualization at work.

The conversation connects leadership psychology, employee experience, and customer success into one powerful idea: you can't fix customer churn without first fixing how you treat your team.

Whether you're leading a CS team or rethinking how your organization operates, this episode will challenge you to put humanity back at the center of business.

3 Key Takeaways:

1. Empathy over ego...true leadership starts by regulating your own nervous system so you can lead others effectively.
2. Burnout isn’t a personal failure...it’s a systemic signal that something in your approach or environment needs to change.
3. Customer Success leaders need space to think, not just react...and that starts with stepping out of survival mode.