Dr. Laura Gallaher: Why Embracing Stress as a Choice CHANGES Everything

In this powerful episode of Start With a Win, Adam Contos sits down with organizational psychologist Dr. Laura Gallaher to uncover the surprising root of leadership stress and how radical self-acceptance plays a transformative role in professional growth. With decades of experience helping elite organizations—from NASA to Fortune 500 companies—Dr. Laura challenges conventional thinking around chaos, culture, and control. This conversation is an eye-opening exploration of how leaders unintentionally undermine psychological safety, and how understanding the science behind self-awareness can revolutionize the way we lead and live. Tune in to discover how to detox leadership overwhelm and elevate your impact—this one will stick with you long after the credits roll.

Dr. Laura Gallaher is a professional speaker and organizational psychologist who inspires driven self-starters to transform their relationship with themselves and accomplish more than ever. She combines insights on radical self-acceptance with humor to create a unique connection with her audience. Despite being a national best-selling author, Dr. Laura stands out from the typical "academic" personality of her PhD peers. Her notable achievements include being hired by NASA to reshape organizational culture after the Columbia accident, leading significant changes in performance management at Disney, and inspiring Yahoo’s global teams to pursue transformation from within.

00:00 Intro
02:35 Can culture blow up a company?
03:50 Can leaders bully employees intellectually?
06:15 Do defense mechanisms have an impact on the team?
08:01 Is stress a choice? First choice is what story…
10:35 Ability to set boundaries, is a way to reinforce this!
14:45 Instead of judging yourself, how can you do this…
17:30 How can leaders get better at growing together?
20:47 How to break free of this judgement pattern?
25:55 Moving my body with this is how I start my day with a win!

Dr. Laura's Links:
linkedin.com/in/laura-gallaher-phd
drlauragallaher.com
selfacceptancequiz.com

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