Overview

You're spending more time managing emotions than doing the actual work. Conflicts repeat, capable people burn out, and small issues escalate-despite clear goals, thoughtful communication, and well-intentioned leadership. Leading Through the Shadows explains why this happens and gives leaders practical, trauma-informed tools to interrupt patterns before they erode performance, trust, and wellbeing. Burnout isn't only a workload problem. Invisible emotional undercurrents, stress responses, past experiences, and unspoken relational dynamics, shape behavior at work and quietly drive disengagement, conflict, and exhaustion. Drawing on psychology, leadership practice, and real-world experience, Dr. Lisa Rassaei shows how these dynamics influence leadership style, team culture, and decision-making under pressure. Core concepts such as the window of tolerance, psychological safety, and workplace bullying are explained clearly. This is not a book about diagnosing individuals. It's about how nervous-system responses show up in meetings, feedback, conflict, and change-and what leaders can do differently in real time. This book helps you address: recurring burnout and disengagement teams that perform ""on paper"" but feel tense or stuck repeated conflict and ""toxic"" patterns policies alone can't resolve leadership challenges amplified by chronic stress and relational strain No therapy training required. The approach is grounded and designed for real leadership situations. Readers will learn how to: stay calm under pressure navigate interpersonal dynamics at work prevent small issues from escalating build trust and psychological safety without losing authority protect their energy in difficult conversations Leading Through the Shadows offers a realistic, practical framework for trauma-informed leadership, concrete about what to do next, starting in your next team meeting.

Full Product Details

9789083614304

Table of Contents

Reviews

""This exceptional book is a must-read for every leader. Lisa Rassaei skillfully weaves together insights from trauma-informed coaching, cross-cultural psychology, mental health, and DEI to make trauma-informed leadership both accessible and actionable. Through a powerful mix of science, storytelling, and reflection questions, she shows that good leadership requires emotional intelligence, compassion, and inner work-so leaders can show up regulated and inclusive, strengthening not only their employees' resilience but that of the entire organization. In a world that feels more volatile, brittle, adversarial, and trauma-inducing than ever, this is not a 'nice to have'-it is essential.""- Nadine Binder, PhD, Leadership Coach and Belonging Expert""The content of this book is highly valuable for every human being that wants to understand how to connect with themselves and others in order to flourish. It helps us understand that ""the stories we [each] carry-whether of triumph or pain-are etched into the very fabric of our being."" -Hetty Brand-Boswijk, PCC, CNTC, ACTC

Author Information

Dr. Lisa Rassaei is the founder of Neuro-Resilience Coaching & Consulting. She helps leaders understand how well-being, resilience, and psychological safety directly impact team performance. Drawing on insights from neuroscience and a holistic mind-body approach, she shows that supporting people's well-being is not only essential for them, but also drives stronger results for teams and organizations.With over 20 years of professional experience across both for-profit and non-profit organizations, including more than a decade in leadership roles, Lisa combines deep expertise with nuanced understanding of how trauma, stress, and burnout shape workplace culture. She holds a PhD in science. an MBA, and advanced certifications in neuroscience, trauma, somatic, and systems coaching, enabling her to guide leaders in ways that align human behavior, well-being, and organizational performance.Currently a people manager in a global organization, Lisa guides her team through change, growth, and development while prioritizing well-being, empathy, and psychological safety. She believes resilient, high performing teams emerge from trust, support, and connection, and that workplaces can thrive only when people do.Outside work, Lisa has traveled to more than 60 countries across five continents, exploring cultures and learning from diverse perspectives. These experiences have enriched her approach to leadership and coaching. She is a certified Pantarei Approach practitioner and a certified yoga teacher. She enjoys practicing yin yoga and urban gardening, nurturing people and plants, reflecting her commitment to growth, balance and holistic well-being.

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