Trauma Informed Leadership: It's About HOW, Not WHAT*
BY: Sarah O’Brien with Larissa Noto contributing, members of our Trauma Informed Leadership Community
What’s In This Issue:
Blog by Sarah O’Brien with a contribution from Larissa Noto
Tuesday Gentle Trauma-Informed Yoga with Julie Johnson at Joy of Yoga (Online+In-Person)
Join our Trauma Informed -Leadership Meet-Up Events
Join Our Trauma-Informed -Yoga Meet-Up Events
How Vs. What
There is much buzz and debate about this concept of trauma-informed. What is it? Who has it? How do you get it? Is it necessary to discuss everywhere? Well, it has gotten really complicated, at least it seems that way. So many voices and opinions about what is versus what isn’t ‘trauma-informed.’ I’ll throw my two cents into the hat, too! Trauma-informed is a term that describes specific knowledge (about trauma) AND using that specific knowledge (about trauma) to INFORM your decision-making. Especially any decision-making in, around, or for people. At its core, being trauma-informed is a HOW, not a what. It’s how you speak and communicate with others; it’s how you ask questions and listen for responses; it’s how you decide what policies and procedures should be included; it’s literally how you show up and present yourself and interact with other people; it’s not about what you know about trauma and its effects on people; it’s about taking what you know about trauma and using it as a framework for how you interact with people…all people…everywhere. Not just in clinical settings. Not just in service or helping roles. In every industry, every company, every organization where there are people. And, yes, there quite a lot, and that’s the point! People exist everywhere, which makes trauma-informed leadership a vital part of a thriving company, team, business, hospital system, non-profit organization, community.
Refining Trauma Informed Care
Why is this especially important for leadership? Because whether implied or appointed, leaders influence; and if we want the world to be a better place (and I think we can all agree, that would be super fantastic) then that influence would work best if it benefits us all…and includes us all. Trauma-Informed leadership is paramount in reshaping our workplaces, our volunteer organizations, our faith communities, our neighborhoods, our cities, our world. “Be the change you want to see” is exactly the idea we’re going for here. We, as people, have to demonstrate new skills, new ways of communicating, new ways of being with each other if we want things to change. The age-old is true: it starts with you, or with us…all of us. Founder and CEO of The Lovely Little Lotus Yoga and Wellness Larissa Noto says, “Trauma Informed Leadership is something that all leaders should be well versed in and something I take very seriously and have been fine tuning for the last few years.” I agree with her and I, too, have been refining and repolishing my skills in recent years.
Trauma-Informed Skills Need to be Learned AND Practiced
It's also important to mention, no one owns the truth with trauma-informed. It’s not an innate skill (although for some it’s more intuitive than for others); it’s not something we learn unless we seek out learning; it’s not something we embody unless we practice embodying it; it’s not something we demonstrate unless we learn and practice the skills. Yes, skill acquisition is what being trauma-informed means. You have acquired skills (not just knowledge) about trauma, trauma responses, and the impact it has on individual and collective behavior, and you take that knowledge and practice living it out (embodying the skills) in real time with real people, then apply both that knowledge and embodied practice of the skills to real life situations where people can/will be impacted—like in workplaces, community organizing, support groups, professional networks, non-profit/volunteer organizations, and on and on. Larissa Noto gives an example of HOW to apply these skills as a leader at work. She mentions, “Creating an open dialogue with employees about ways they can be supported in their roles, as well as, ways they can support you as the leader. This creates a “power with” dynamic (instead of a hierarchical power over dynamic). This open dialogue creates an environment where employees can share their thoughts and feelings without thinking there will be negative consequences.” This is a real, live tangible way trauma-informed leadership can be incorporated into a workplace.
Leading Well
Leaders, in particular, need to embody these skills. Why? Because use of trauma-informed skills is more likely to increase felt sense of safeness for folks, and to decrease harm—meaning we’re not perpetuating or causing more harm (and trauma) to people with our position as ‘leader,’ and our influence and/or decision-making power. Individuals in power, or positions of leadership, have a duty and responsibility to guide, encourage, teach, support, and problem-solve issues for those that follow them. Leadership today has almost no check and balance, and to arrive into a position of leadership (an official role/title) requires almost zero vetting or demonstration of skills, leadership skills. People get promoted into positions of leadership based on excellent work performance, but without having to demonstrate good leadership skills (which is literally just WILD to me!) People getting promoted, or voted, into positions of power based on nepotism, antiquated social constructs, or seniority status alone is simply wrong in my book. Just doesn’t make sense! And isn’t good for the people, whatever people, are subject to that person’s interactions and decision-making. If you haven’t been taught to lead well, then you likely won’t lead well. If you haven’t been taught how to be inclusive, then it’s likely you will exclude many. If you haven’t been taught (and then practiced, A LOT) how to speak to people appropriately, then you are more likely to cause harm with biased language and poor communication skills. It baffles me that leaders are not only not demonstrating any of these (basic) leadership skills, they are not expected to! How did that become a normalized status quo? How did we get to a place where leaders are not held accountable for their comments, actions, and decisions? Oh, I know how. Oppression. Marginalization. Judgment. Disenfranchisement. Of many groups of people. For a long, long time. However, just because it’s been the way, doesn’t mean it has to remain the way. We are capable of change, growth, learning, acquiring new skills. What is needed for this change? What is required of leaders to lead well? Better yet, what is required of trauma-informed leaders to lead well?
L.E.A.D.E.R.S.H.I.P
Let’s break it down into digestible bits. I believe there at least ten (10) qualities, characteristics and skills required to be an effective trauma-informed leader. I even made it easy, as the skills and traits needed spell out ‘LEADERSHIP.’ And who doesn’t appreciate use of an acronym to remember things?! I’ll add my viewpoints on what each means.
L (Life-long Learning) 🡪 A willingness to continue learning about yourself, others, TI skills, and new information/trends
E (Employ Empathy & Equity) 🡪 These go hand-in-hand. To engage in empathy promotes equity; to employ equity requires empathy
A (Authenticity & Accountability) 🡪 These also go hand-in-hand. Fear of inadequacy or mistakes often blocks vulnerable authenticity. Yet, recognizing & owning, your mistakes normalizes this for others, and shows your authentic human side as well as your ability to be accountable to your choices
D (Do your own work) 🡪 You must go through your own therapy to 1) heal from your own wounds 2) become self-aware and emotionally intelligent. *This is non-negotiable if you want to be a trauma-informed leader. This is one of the main pillars of developing TI skills.
E (Embrace Difference) 🡪 An extension of empathy and equity, but worth its own mention. Find appreciation and strength in diversity, in the differences between us. Look for the value of things being different, people being different.
R (Repair after Ruptures) 🡪 Learning how to resolve conflict without causing more harm is a serious skill. Embedded in this one is excellent communication skills. To address hurt/misunderstanding well (especially if caused by you) is next level leadership. *This is also non-negotiable if you want to be a trauma-informed leader
S (Social Responsibility) 🡪 Trauma-informed = increased safety for all, naturally including a social responsibility for impact/change as a result of your TI Leadership skills. This has to be in mind when making decisions.
H (Human-centered Heart) 🡪 A care/concern/interest in other humans and other humans’ well-being, health, function
I (Inclusive Interpersonal Skills) 🡪 This combines language, communication (verbal and non-verbal), and cultivation of trust. Learning how to use non-biased, non-aggressive language allows for more open, transparent, real conversations to take place, when we can do that (comfortably) trust can develop. Without trust there is no safety.
P (Practice, practice, practice!) 🡪 Actual, real life, real time, real people practice is required. You cannot get good at any of these skills without continual practice. This links us all the way back to skill #1: life-long learning. Willingness to practice, gain new knowledge, practice, knowledge, etc. *This is another non-negotiable if you want to be a trauma-informed leader.
New Lenses
If I try to sum it all up, trauma-informed leadership means looking at the same problems with new lenses; lenses that see all people of all abilities, and their value and worth, without compromising anyone’s value or felt sense of safety in the course of leading. Trauma-informed leadership requires doing your own self-work so that you are emotionally aware (of yourself and others), cognitively aware (of thought patterns, faulty beliefs, or biases), and behaviorally aware (of choices, habits, evaluation for decision-making). It requires learning human-centered communication skills so as to resolve conflicts, repair after misunderstanding or miscommunication, in efforts to build trust between the leader and those working with, for, or alongside them. And, ultimately, trauma-informed leadership is a PRACTICE, an ongoing, dynamic, embodied, continual practice. We do not land on being trauma-informed. We practice being trauma-informed; and we commit to that practice for the sake of other people, and for ourselves, because we have to be the change we want to see. If we want a trauma-informed world in the future, well then, we must start practicing how to be in that trauma-informed world in the present.
Finally, Larissa Noto returns with some other practical options for using your trauma-informed leadership to affect changes in the workplace environment. Her list includes:
Acknowledging that we carry multiple identities as per the intersectional being we are, and we aren’t solely defined by one or more of them. When we acknowledge this, it may impact the workspace and require accountability for creating spaces that embrace the intersectionality of all beings
Use of pronouns, preferred names, observation or non-observance of holidays, etc.
Wellness Check In’s before meetings
Predictable schedules for meetings, offerings, trainings, or retreats
Inviting feedback about policies and procedures, to ensure they’re fair to all beings in your spaces
Creating room for multiple voices in spaces
Appropriate timing around deadlines in the workspace and support readily available to staff when deadlines cannot be met
Acknowledging that folks may be more productive in alternate work settings (i.e. home vs office vs co-working)
Addressing conflicts openly, clearly and directly to avoid harmIncorporating random gratitude days (Larissa’s employees love this one!)
How to do the HOW:
join a TI professional practice community dedicated to growth in trauma-informed skills and dedicated to helping others grow in trauma-informed skills through live action practice, support, networking, and being together while trying to do this together. We CANNOT gain these skills in a vacuum or entirely on one’s own.
Where to do the HOW:
Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead certification program Facilitated by Nicole Lewis-Keeber
Join Julie Johnson for Trauma-Informed Gentle Yoga
Designed with care and compassion, this class offers a supportive space for individuals to embark on a healing journey, integrating the mind, body, and spirit. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced yogi, this offering is open to everyone who seeks to heal from past traumas and cultivate resilience.
Participants will experience trauma-informed breathwork exercises to regulate the nervous system, reduce anxiety, and promote emotional balance and learn to cultivate self-compassion and develop tools for self-care, empowering you to navigate challenges with resilience. The entire ninety-minute experience involves journal prompts for nervous system self-care, gentle movement and ends with yoga nidra.
Join Julie Johnson next Tuesday!
Julie is a leading expert in Trauma Informed learning and Trauma informed teaching. She is passionate about facilitating a client-empowered, compassion-focused and approachable environment for anyone seeking a trauma informed approach to Reiki or yoga. You can read more about Julie's work in the field of traumatology at www.letsintegrate.org.
Facilitator: Julie Johnson
When: Tuesday May 21st 6-7:30pm
Cost: $15 In Studio Drop In, $10 Online Drop In, All Class Cards, Unlimited, Monthly
Location: Downstairs Studio & Online
Sign up For Gentle Yoga Here:
Join Our Meet-Up Groups
Trauma-Informed Leadership Meet-Up Group
This group is all about fostering community collaboration and uncovering the potential within ourselves and others while promoting the values of empathic leadership, community organizations, and fun healthy living. Join us as we discuss and learn about trauma-informed practices, empower each other, and discover innovative ways to lead with compassion and resilience. Let's come together, share experiences, and develop a community that supports trauma-informed leadership development.
Check it out
Join us for a supportive and nurturing space where we blend the healing practice of yoga with trauma-informed techniques. Our meet-up group is designed to support individuals on their healing journey, honoring each person's unique experiences and needs.
🧘 What to Expect:
Experience gentle yoga practices focused on mindfulness, self-care, and empowerment. Our sessions are led by Julie Johnson, an experienced instructor in trauma-informed practices. Julie has been teaching and training trauma-informed yoga for nearly a decade. She is the Co-founder of Integrate Trauma-Informed Network, a professional network of solopreneurs and business professionals who prioritize leading themselves and others by developing trauma-informed leadership skills to develop a more compassionate world. Julie is also a vetted member of The Breathe Network, a directory of trauma-informed healing arts professionals that serves sexual assault survivors. You can read more about Julie's work at www.letsintegrate.org.
🌟 Who Should Join:
This group is open to anyone seeking a mindful approach to healing, relaxation, and self-discovery. Whether you're new to yoga or have been practicing for years, you'll find a welcoming community ready to embrace your journey.
📅 Upcoming Events:
Stay tuned for our upcoming sessions, workshops, and special events tailored to promote healing and well-being. Connect with like-minded individuals, share experiences, and cultivate a sense of connection and resilience together.
Join me to explore the transformative power of trauma-informed yoga and embark on a journey towards healing and self-discovery. We look forward to welcoming you to our meet-up group! 🌸 #TraumaInformedYoga #HealingJourney #Mindfulness #CommunitySupport
Disclaimer
Our Trauma-Informed Yoga Group offers supportive sessions with mindfulness practices, but it is not a substitute for professional therapy. We recommend seeking therapy for mental health concerns. Participation in our group should complement, not replace, therapy. Your well-being matters most.