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Episode 1: Meet Nicki Show Notes
- nstraza
- Jan 8
- 3 min read
Show Notes
Episode Title: Meet Nicki
Podcast: Dissonance Disrupted
Hosts: Nicki Straza & Sherri Dockree
Episode Length: ~30 minutes
Episode Description
In the first episode of Dissonance Disrupted, host Sherri Dockree interviews co-host Nicki Straza as they explore what truly makes a healthy workplace culture. Through lived leadership experience and neuroscience-informed insight, they unpack emotional intelligence, psychological safety, burnout, self-compassion, and generational dynamics. This episode sets the tone for honest conversations about leadership, wellbeing, and how human-centered practices can disrupt workplace dissonance and foster flourishing teams.
Key Themes Covered
What a Healthy Workplace Culture Feels Like
Culture is often invisible until it is felt.
A flourishing culture feels peaceful, purposeful, collaborative, and values-driven.
The “Sunday night feeling” is offered as a practical litmus test for culture health.
Burnout, Wellbeing, and Responsibility
Chronic pressure, perfectionism, and criticism create a slow drift toward burnout.
Leaders must take responsibility for their own wellbeing, even while advocating for systemic change.
Workplace culture impacts families and lives far beyond office walls.
How Personal Wellbeing Shapes Leadership
Leaders who understand their own limits lead with greater empathy.
People must come before tasks, without diminishing accountability or performance.
Permission for rest and care is reinforced through behaviour, not policy alone.
Psychological Safety and Authentic Leadership
Trust grows when leaders “walk the talk.”
Misalignment between words and behaviour is where dysfunction takes root.
Self-compassion and internal alignment are prerequisites for authentic leadership.
Generational Dynamics and Dissonance
Each generation was shaped by different expectations of leadership and work.
What once signaled strength can now erode trust if left unexamined.
Younger generations often equate authenticity with credibility, while older generations were taught to compartmentalize.
Generational intelligence invites curiosity, grace, and mutual learning rather than judgment.
Human-Centered Leadership as a Disruptor
Humanizing interactions is the most powerful form of disruption.
Feeling seen, heard, and valued fuels engagement, creativity, and innovation.
Cultures thrive when connection is protected first, safety second, and clarity third.
Self-Compassion as a Leadership Practice
Self-compassion begins with believing you are worthy of it.
The word “yet” is introduced as a practical mindset tool.
Disrupting unhealthy workplace culture begins with disrupting inner self-talk.
Listener Reflection Questions
What does your current workplace culture feel like on a Sunday night?
Where might misalignment exist between what is said and what is lived?
How does your generational lens shape how you experience leadership?
Resources & Mentions
Website: www.dissonancedisrupted.ca
View PDF of Transcript below
Keep Learning
If today’s conversation sparked your curiosity, here are a few thoughtfully aligned resources to deepen your understanding of the themes explored in this episode. These selections reflect the spirit of the discussion rather than a required reading list.
Emotional Intelligence & Self-Compassion
Emotional Agility by Susan David
Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff
Psychological Safety & Trust
The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
Generational Dynamics & Leadership
Gentelligence by Megan Gerhardt
The Future Begins with Z by Tim Elmore
Mindset & the Power of “Yet”
Mindset by Carol Dweck
These resources offer different entry points into the same core question raised in this episode: How do we lead in ways that honour both human complexity and collective responsibility?
About Our Guest
Nicki Straza Bio
Nicki Straza is a respected workplace culture strategist, speaker, and Certified Flourishing Coach with more than 25 years of leadership and organizational development experience across non-profit, corporate, and small business sectors. As the founder of Straza Solutions, Nicki partners with organizations to foster inclusive, trust-based workplaces where people can thrive, individually and collectively.
A recognized specialist in generational dynamics, Nicki equips leaders to bridge communication gaps, increase engagement, and build collaborative environments that meet the needs of a multi-generational workforce. Her frameworks emphasize emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and habit-building for sustainable cultural transformation.
Nicki is a Certified Flourishing Workplace Facilitator, Trainer, and Coach, holds a Diploma in Applied Bookkeeping, and is recognized as a Generational Dynamics Specialist. She lives in Brantford, Ontario, on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabeg First Nations, with her husband and is the proud mother of two adult children.
To connect with Nicki Straza, visit www.strazasolutions.com
About the Dissonance Disrupted Podcast
In a world where DEI feels lost and inclusion is becoming a bad word, Dissonance Disrupted creates space for real conversations about leadership through the lenses of diverse voices. As generational and neurodiversity advocates, hosts Sherri Dockree and Nicki Straza disrupt dissonance and navigate a path toward personal empowerment, conscious leadership, and organizational success. By leveraging evidence-based practices rooted in neuroscience, the podcast explores how to nurture flourishing workplace cultures where every diversity can thrive.
PDF of Transcript:
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