About this episode

The episode discusses the concept of non-traditional grief in the workplace and its impact on leadership and team dynamics.

When there is any deviation from expectations, grief show up, we just don't call it that... A brilliant conversation with Angela Fusaro, an emergency medicine physician and CEO, and our conversation completely shifted my perspective. Here is the powerful idea that really resonated with me: what if these feelings, these un-budgeted operating costs of change, are actually a form of grief? Not just the traditional grief we think of, but a “non-traditional grief” — any deviation from our expectations. It’s a game-changer for understanding how our teams truly function, and how we can manage navigating the unseen costs of organizational change as levers for business growth. We explore how acknowledging non-traditional grief can improve team performance and leadership identity in an AI-driven world. Our brains are wired for pattern recognition, and when expectations aren’t met, our brains interpret it as a threat. This kicks us into defensive & undesirable behaviours we often see: micromanagement, rumination, or even just general irritability. Naming it as loss or grief, rather than anger or frustration, disarms it and creates a path to deal with it constructively. This reframe is…

People in this episode

Host: Suzie Lewis

Guest: Dr Angela Fusaro

Topics covered

• leadership
• workplace grief
• organizational change
• team performance
• AI impact
• emotional intelligence

Keywords

• workplace grief
• leadership transformation
• organizational change
• team dynamics
• AI in business
• emotional response
• pattern recognition

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