Most leaders think solving workforce challenges comes down to data, compliance, or improving systems.

But what if the real leverage point is far more human—compassion, ethics, and the courage to have honest conversations?

Dr. Tyra Sellers, owner of TP Sellers and one of the most influential voices in modern ABA leadership, challenges us to rethink how we define professionalism, accountability, and decision-making.

With over 30 years in ABA service delivery, ethics, supervision, and executive leadership, Tyra brings both clarity and heart to conversations that most leaders avoid.

Listen in as she explains how courageous communication and mistake-forward cultures promote organizational success.


In this conversation, Tyra breaks down:

• What compassion actually looks like in practice.
• How empathic leaders can stay grounded.
• Why perfectionism paralyzes hiring, supervision, and decision-making.
• How to protect fairness and reduce bias.
• What a genuine “blameless” culture sounds like.
• Why “breaking” new systems on purpose leads to safer, stronger practices.
• How leaders can recognize a culture where mistakes are safe to share.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “Leaders [are] the least important person in the team… You're there to facilitate the success of all of the people around you.” - Dr. Sellers
• “​​Compassion should be a component and inform everything you do. The same way ethics isn't some separate thing that you do on a Tuesday when something bad happens.” - Dr. Sellers
• “A mistake isn't a bad thing. A mistake is just a non-optimal outcome... Mistakes are more about learning how we can create systems that are more effective or more efficient or safer." - Dr. Sellers

Resources mentioned:

• Pass the Big Exam
• The New Supervisor’s Workbook
• Daily Ethics
• Building and Sustaining Effective Relationships
• Radical Candor by Kim Scott
• Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg
• Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen
• The Afro-Minimalist’s Guide to Living with Less by Christine Platt
• Performance Diagnostic Checklist - Human Services (PDC-HS)
• Assessing the efficacy of and preference for positive and corrective feedback - PubMed
• A further investigation regarding the efficacy of and preference for positive

Dr. Tyra Sellers is a behavior analyst and the owner of TP Sellers, LLC. She has over 30 years of experience working in the profession, and has held positions as an Assistant Professor at Utah State University, Director o

Stop fighting workforce challenges. Start outsmarting them. Join us at the ABA C.A.R.E.S. Summit and transform how you lead, staff, and grow your organization. 

Register today at https://behaviorlive.com/conferences/abacares2026/home