The simplifiers podcast
410: How to be a joy-centered people leader - with Sheryl Raphael Whitaker
A lot of people leaders are exhausted right now. They’re holding the line on performance… trying to keep their teams engaged… and making hard calls under pressure. And in the middle of all that, one thing gets pushed to the bottom of the list: Joy. Not the “happy all the time” kind of joy. Not “good vibes only.” But joy as an operating system — the thing that stabilizes how you lead, how you respond, and how you treat people when work gets messy. Because when a leader runs on urgency, fear, or control… the team can feel it. And it costs you: trust, creativity, psychological safety, retention… and eventually, results.
February 10, 2026
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