Ep. 92 - Being Human at Work: Leadership We Actually Need -Sondra Norris

Welcome to the Show!

I had an absolute cracker of a conversation with Sondra Norris from San Jose, CA. - 30 years in learning and development, HR, and executive consulting.

This woman gets it when it comes to helping people stay human in all their roles.

Key Points:

• Leaders aren't superhuman - they put their pants on one leg at a time and have the same human flaws as everyone else
• Self-awareness is everything: leaders must understand that every action is being measured and impacts whether people feel safe or unsafe
• When people feel unsafe, they rally others around that toxicity - creating negative group dynamics that poison new hires
• Traditional DEI often isolates rather than unifies - focus on shared human experiences instead of differences
• Active listening isn't just brain activity - you're creating safety for people to volunteer their best selves
• Trust is earned through consistency: being the same human regardless of circumstances

The New Hire Reality: Fresh employees arrive open and optimistic, but existing toxic team dynamics quickly convert them. "Welcome to the factory" becomes the unofficial onboarding.

Trust Bank Account: Make constant deposits because something will always go wrong. Without that foundation, you can't earn forgiveness when mistakes happen.

The Bottom Line: Companies employ half the planet. If they could make the experience genuinely positive, growing, and human, they could literally change the world through sheer numbers.

The ONE Thing: Everything you do as a leader is about building trust and creating safety. People stop giving creativity, extra hours, and innovation when trust dies - and it all comes down to basic human-to-human perception.

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Are you creating safety or toxicity in your one-to-ones?

Connect with Sondra:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sondranorris

Connnect with me:

https://linktr.ee/sawrightcoach