In this season finale, we do something a little different. Instead of featuring an outside guest, we bring you behind the scenes—with the voices and minds who help design and deliver the very work this podcast explores. Dr. Heidi Brooks is joined by her colleagues David Tate and Stacey Casamassima for a candid, deeply human conversation that essentially doubles as a real team meeting. This is the team that teaches and leads “Everyday Leadership” at Yale and facilitates high-touch programs like Interpersonal and Group Dynamics, Holding Space, and more. And this time, they're turning the mic inward.

Together, they reflect on the life experiences that drew them to this work, the evolution of their own learning journeys, and the frameworks and practices they use to create conditions for meaningful growth—within themselves, their students and each other. They discuss what it means to “stay” in difficult moments, how trust and ambiguity support learning, and why the ability to be present—with curiosity and care—is at the heart of human development.

If you’ve ever wondered how transformational learning environments are built, or who’s behind the scenes making them possible, this conversation is for you. Listen in as we lift the veil, share the practice, and reflect on what it really takes to co-create the conditions for learning—with integrity, intention and hope.

Learning Through Experience is produced through the Yale School of Management. What resonates with you about this conversation? We’d love to hear from you—reach out to [email protected]. And subscribe to the monthly LinkedIn newsletter for additional insights and reflections about episode topics and questions to ponder. 

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Show Notes & Key Moments

00:06 – Opening the Circle: Why This Episode, Why This TeamDr. Heidi Brooks frames the episode as a rare look behind the scenes of the work and the people who create the conditions for learning.

03:02 – Disillusionment, Discovery and Stacey’s Path to the Work"My graduate degree rescued me from the cynicism I found in the working world... It shaped fundamentally how I move through the world."

06:50 – The Early Seeds of David’s WorkDavid Tate traces his call to group work back to junior high: "I wasn’t doing much—just listening. But that act of holding space was more powerful than I realized."

16:46 – Doing Nothing—or Everything? Heidi’s Story of Early Impact"They asked me to stop bringing research and just ask questions. I thought I was doing nothing—but something powerful was happening in that space."

28:06 – What Creates the Conditions for Learning?Stacey and David explore the inner and outer structures that make learning possible—from psychological safety to intentional ambiguity and trust.

40:19 – Against Individualism: Learning as a Shared, Social Experience"Can we meditate out loud—together?" Stacey reframes learning as a relational practice that counters dominant culture’s emphasis on the individual.

46:32 – Stay or Cancel? Trust, Reaction, and the Practice of Presence"Stay is not the same as tolerate." The team discusses cancel culture, self-protection, and the challenge of staying present through discomfort and difference.

53:10 – The Power of Discussability and Repair"Not only are we noticing, but we’re going to talk about it—and recover." Stacey reflects on what makes it possible to risk and trust in community.

57:01 – Hope for Humanity: What This Work Makes Possible"Our students go out and ripple this work into the world. That gives me hope." David and Stacey share final reflections on why this work matters.

Resources:

Yale Courses in Organizational Behavior: https://faculty.som.yale.edu/heidibrooks/courses/

David C. Tate: https://som.yale.edu/faculty-research/faculty-directory/david-c-tate