5 Considerations for Leading During Collective Trauma
It's almost become hyperbolic to talk about the times we are in. “These times” encompassing these intensified few years including the historical traumas of a global pandemic, wars, genocide, human rights violations, and more. There are so many events and environments both globally and in our own backyard that are inducing trauma and toxic stress both on an individual and collective level. In today’s episode, I am acknowledging the reality of the collective trauma we exist in and the varying levels of impact is having on us individually and as a collective. I am sharing five trauma-informed considerations you can easily adopt in your personal and/or professional spaces as you show up and lead during these times of collective trauma. We do not need to be experts in world affairs to care about what's happening to our neighbors both in our own communities and across the world.
Show Transcript:
Katie Kurtz (she/her): Hi everyone and welcome back to A Trauma-Informed Future podcast, I'm your host, Katie Kurtz. I had a different podcast planned and scheduled to come out this week. But I really felt called given the current circumstances we are seeing either we're experiencing or unfolding on our screens of what's happening in Israel and just around the world and in our own backyards, I really felt called to offer and hold some space for how trauma-informed care is essential.
Coming in here first and foremost to say, I am not an expert in world affairs and I don't have lived experiences of war and I am not directly impacted by what is happening across the globe, especially what's happening in Israel and Gaza, but I am impacted by it nonetheless. And my guesses are you are too. And as somebody who runs a social impact business, trauma informed care is social impact work. Trauma-informed care is rooted in social justice frameworks. And if you're anything like me, even if you don't have a social impact business, you might find yourself these last few weeks unsure of how to show up, unsure of what to do. Sometimes even feeling like what you're doing is futile. And I just want to name and acknowledge how human of us, how human of you to maybe feel that way. And during these times, it may also feel like what's the point or is it worth doing? And I felt called to just have this conversation and maybe provide a few considerations of how trauma informed care is so essential all the time, but especially because of these times, And why we need this approach, why it's imperative and how it is so important when discussing our current zeitgeists and witnessing collective trauma unfold before us, again, both globally and in our own backyards.
It's almost become hyperbolic to talk about the times we're in, right? These times the world is on fire. The world's falling apart. I don't know how you want to describe it, but these things aren't new, obviously war genocide, human rights violations, economic disparities, all of these things, aren't new, but they feel more intense. And I think because of the collective trauma of a global pandemic, which is still happening and we're still feeling the impact of it and the accumulation of stress that has occurred. And just because we're awakening more to the realities of our humanity, which includes stress and trauma and the systems we've been living in which caused and create events and environments that create harm.
We've been feeling the accumulation of stress specifically over the last few years. So again, I want to honor these things aren't new and that many people who are intentionally or historically marginalized, especially these things are not new. But we are feeling a more intensified impact of it, as we sit front and center with them unfolding on our screens before us. So when I talk about these times, it's encompassing these intensified few years, which have include again, the historical trauma of a global pandemic wars genocide human rights violations, political unrest. Both our individual and our collective experiences. There are so many events and environments, both globally and in our own backyard that are inducing trauma and toxic stress again on an individual and a collective level. We do not need to be experts in world history or religion to engage in attune to our humanity right now.
We do not need to be experts in world affairs or politics to care about what's happening to our neighbors both in our own communities and across the world. I know I sometimes get in my head thinking, oh, who am I to talk about this? Or know what the right thing to do or say, when do I listen, when do I speak? And I have to come back and remind myself to pause and remember that I don't need to be an expert. I don't need to know exactly what to say to care. Again, I'm not going to come onto this podcast today to talk about the intricacies of what's unfolding before us. And I don't need to, in order to hold space for our shared humanity, our shared grief. What I want to do is simply name and acknowledge what's happening right now. Because what is happening, what we are witnessing, whether we're living in these countries, have family living there. If we're part of a culture group or we're witnessing it unfold on our screens before us. Is systemic trauma. It's collective trauma. It's historical trauma. It's intergenerational trauma.
Now I don't believe in big T or little T trauma. You can go back to episode 13, to listen to the podcast where I share a little bit about why I don't believe in the specific concept. Because I believe that when we create binaries or authority or determining what is trauma and what is not for someone and perpetuating hierarchies, It only further promotes exclusion. And inequities. And these are the conditions in which trauma thrives in. We see this, whether it's in an individual relationship or a more cultural event. I believe there's a spectrum. Of course somebody living in a war torn country is going to have a greater and more complex impact of trauma than somebody who is watching it unfold on the news, but they're still an impact. And that spectrum of impact is an important nuance and understanding for us to hold as trauma informed leaders.
What's really important to understand, especially, as we lead during these times, Is trauma-informed care is not conditional. It cannot be an approach, offered to some and not to others. Creating exclusions conditions and hierarchy of people's humanity and trauma is not what this approach is intended for. I see this often and it always bears repeating. We can not use the same tools that cause trauma to prevent, mitigate, or heal it. We cannot accept that individual trauma exists while denying the reality is a systemic and collective trauma that surrounds us. Trauma-informed care, teaches us how to hold the nuances and complexities of our humanity. While also being very clear that we can not tolerate people, collectives and systems that actively dehumanize harm and cause trauma. How do we lead with a trauma informed lens during these times?
First and foremost, I think we must acknowledge these times and not deny or act as if the world is not experiening a myriad of stress and trauma. Again, we do not have to be experiencing the actual event to understand it and be impacted by it. We do not need to have gone through the same trauma as others to provide trauma informed care. An expression of trauma-informed leadership is the capacity to hold these understandings. It's about learning how to practice responsiveness over reactivity. And how to choose courage over comfort to be with what the world urges us to turn away from. Right now there are so many people, again, within proximity to where we live and within our culture groups, within our communities, within our global community, experiencing multiple levels of stress and trauma harm and dehumanization.
And we exist in these systems, these social contexts where these environments are being perpetuated where certain people are feeling the impact of trauma. And that impact again, may be direct or indirect. That impact may be very complex and it may even create an intergenerational ripple effect.
What do we do? If you're feeling helpless or powerless or uncertain. I want to leave you with a few considerations of how to lead during collective trauma. I always think back to every time I have launched CULTIVATE, my trauma-informed space holding training.. Every single time I have live launched that training a very significant historical or collective trauma has occurred. I launched it during the presidential election here in the United States back in 2020. During a major political unrest in January of 2021. When war broke out in Ukraine. When there were mass shootings, when there were police shootings in my community. When we have seen and witnessed just multitudes of different things happening. And each time I pause and wonder. Should I be doing this? Should I be doing something else? Is this worthwhile and I have to lean on my community and remember the impact of trauma informed care. It might seem insignificant or it might seem like you're not doing enough or has a big effect, but it really does. And it is imperative that we learn how to adopt this approach because it gives us cohesion. It gives us a blueprint of how to lead in the best of times in the worst of times.
So I want to offer you five trauma-informed considerations for leading during collective trauma. We have to acknowledge the impact it has on everyone. We come in contact with both personally and professionally. So again, these are considerations, these aren't, The ingredients or you have to do these things, but I just always like to leave people with things to think about. And you discern, you decide what's best for you in the context of your own lived experience and identities. As well as the context of which you are leading within.
So first and foremost, One thing we can do is just acknowledge the reality we're living in. Nobody benefits from denial or minimizing or bypassing. Because then we're just denying and minimizing and bypassing our humanity. What's happening right now might not be your reality, but it is the reality of many. And we are all witnessing it constantly unfold on our screens. So rather than avoid the topic, because maybe it's uncomfortable or you're afraid of what might come up or you don't feel like you have enough information or expertise to talk about it. Instead acknowledge it. You don't have to be an expert and no one's expecting you to be anyways. Acknowledge that what we're collectively experiencing right now is not normal. It's not okay.
That we, of course are going to be impacted by it. How could we not. How could we not witness people being harmed and hurt and killed and not be impacted by that. And I'm going to dare say if we do not feel impacted by that. That is a great red flag of concern. I know how easy it can be to dissociate and numb away from the hard things. But we are impacted by it in some way. And so let's just start by naming it. Let's start by witnessing it. It's let's start by acknowledging it. And letting it be okay that we're all going to have different reactions, responses and impact from it.
Another consideration is to practice the pause. You may hear me talk about this before. And this is one of my go-to practices. But simply pausing. We can sometimes think of traumas too much, too fast, too soon, an overwhelm to our own nervous system and the nervous system of our culture, our community our globe. Whether we're experiencing crisis directly or indirectly, Our nervous systems are impacted by it again, not just our individual nervous systems with the nervous system of our company, of our team our culture. Many of us are waking up with the news, seeing it on our scrolls, discussing it with our colleagues, et cetera. When the nervous system is dysregulated, it activates a fight flight freeze or fine response. And those responses can generate a myriad of social, emotional, cognitive, physical, or behavioral reactions. They can happen an internally and externally. So as a trauma informed leader, how can you pause in order to make sure you're responding rather than reacting? Pausing allows us to slow down. Especially in these times, if you've ever had crisis intervention training. If you've ever been a part of a crisis, you may be familiar with how easy it is that when presented in a crisis, how easy it is to join in on that crisis. And then you're also in crisis rather than being able to respond to it you're reacting within it. So practicing the pause is a reminder to slow down, especially in these times when everything is going at warp speed. How do we do that? By simply taking a breath. Maybe changing up the scenery, going for a walk, switching it up. Finding ways to ground if you're finding a heightened sense of that flight anxiety or finding ways to release, shaking your hands out, shaking your body. Connecting with people, maybe listening before speaking. Finding ways to pause and slow it down.
Another consideration is to check in. I love a good check-in. Everyone's going to be having a different response right now, as we see collective trauma unfold. We're never going to know or need to know about people's individual lived experiences. But it's important that we create spaces where we can ensure we're checking with people. By checking in we're not denying the reality of what's going on. Instead we're allowing for another level of acknowledgement of what's happening. Many of us may have personal connections or maybe directly impacted than others. But we cannot deny the reality that what we're all in, some ways impacting us, not just individually, but collectively and culturally. So simply creating opportunities to check in with folks can be really powerful. This may be before a meeting starts just like checking in. How's everyone doing? Maybe before our one-on-one just being like, I just want to acknowledge a lot's going on right now. How are you feeling? Again, if you're going to ask these questions, make sure you have the capacity to hold it. That means, making sure that you can listen to not judge fix or solve, but rather just to be with. Maybe before the meeting starts, you can just allow everyone to pause. Take a deep breath. Acknowledge the realities of what's occurring around us. If we're feeling a certain way, just humanizing it. But be sure to remember, especially if you're working in groups or teams in a workplace to honor choice in this process, because some folks may not feel safe sharing how they're feeling. And that's okay. By simply allowing a choice of check-in you're giving people that opportunity. And you're communicating that you care that you see people that you hear people you're acknowledging the reality of the times.
Another thing to consider is encouraging care, self care, community care, collective care whatever form it may be. The compounded and accumulative stress again, in our own lives, on our phones in the world. What's happening right now is not normal. It's not humane. What is normal? What is very human is to feel exhausted uncertain worried sad, angry. All of the above all at same time. So how can we normalize or I don't love the term normal. I like to say humanize these feelings and encourage people with a lot of reminders because our nervous systems love predictability, consistency, repetition, and pace. How can we create opportunity for people to care for themselves and each other? If you're someone who has decision-making power, how can you help create choices for care to be possible? Maybe this looks like ending a meeting early or canceling all together. Rescheduling something creating more breaks, whatever it may be. How can you prioritize extra care right now?
And the last consideration, how can you give people and yourself permission to be human? I keep talking about this quote, unquote, these times, just as a way to encompass all the things happening at once. But they're also compounded by , each of our own individuals lived experiences. There's a lot going on. Can we just pause and just acknowledge there's a lot going on. There has been a lot going on. There's a lot of grief. Grief in so many forms. We can only hold so much. How many of us are running on reserves, not even on fumes. We can't build resiliency while we're using it. And so many of us maybe over our capacity. Not having a moment to regenerate it. When our nervous systems are dysregulated, we may have a harder time focusing or remembering things. We may feel more agitated or frustrated. We may feel more grief. We may feel exhausted. Lethargic, numb, dissociated. Again, humanizing that these are all very likely responses to times of collective trauma and grief and stress. As trauma informed leaders, though, we can first acknowledge everyone's going to have a different response to the events and environments where existing in. And that is okay. That is expected. And we can encourage people to practice permission. To honor their humanness in these times. We can do that by increasing communications. I love again repetition reminders. Extract the extra stuff that may bog people down and please offer a lot of grace. Offer compassion. Give people permission to be human.
I offer these five different considerations. Again, I'll repeat them. Acknowledge the reality. Practice the pause check in. Encourage care and permission to be human. What I want to really emphasize here is, do not forget that trauma-informed care is a bi-directional approach. It includes you. If you are offering this care to others, if you're going to offer acknowledgement of the reality, we're living in practicing the pause, checking in and encouraging care and permission to be human, be sure you're also offering that to yourself as well. There no one has a script for how to lead during compounded collective traumas right now. What we do have is a comprehensive approach that we can lean on. To give us a guide on how to lead with more empathy, more care more humanity. As we see collective trauma unfold around us one of the biggest things we can do to counteract what we are seeing is to provide a trauma informed care approach. This is the way for us to know how to lead during these times of unknown. And it's a way for us to collectively care for one another. While we are seeing harm unfold how can we promote healing in all its forms? Trauma-informed care is a big way to do that.
However you are showing up today I hope again, you can give yourself permission to be human, to offer yourself some grace. If you're finding yourself unsure of how to lead, I hope you consider some of these ways that you might be able to implement in your spaces, wherever that it may be, whether it's in your home and your community in your workspace. Wherever it may be in your relationships. Considering ways to acknowledge the collective trauma we're living in. And one last reminder is that we are not meant to do this alone. Remember, resilience is relational. So how can we find spaces to connect? To consciously connect to authentically connect with others. Whether that's virtually or in person connection is something we need. As much as the air, we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. So when we find ourselves in times of collective stress and trauma, Your instinct may be to isolate or turn away. And I encourage you to consider ways you can turn in towards others in some way.
I am in this with you. I am finding ways to practice these things as well in my personal and professional lives. And a reminder, there is no perfection here. There is no arrival. It's only progress. It's only an evolution.
So thank you for listening today. I hope this podcast can provide you with some things to consider maybe some affirmation or validation. Or something you can share with others who may need it or something maybe to discuss within your relationships professionally or personally. Until next time, take good care.
