In what Edelman has called the “Era of Grievance”, I sit down with organizational psychologist, leadership coach and author Dr. Gena Cox to explore why respect—not just diversity and inclusion—is the true foundation of healthy organizations.

Together, we explore:

• Why DEI has been misunderstood and how leaders can reframe it as an obligation of effective leadership.
• A powerful case study from healthcare, showing how a “respect ethos” improved retention, engagement, and patient outcomes.
• The connection between respect, trust, and organizational resilience in an era of global grievance and distrust.
• How leaders can integrate respect-driven behaviours into culture, strategy, and everyday decision-making.

In this interview, Dr. Cox provides clarity and practical tools to help leaders rebuild trust and drive the outcomes CEOs want most.

This AfterShock conversation is the last in our September series on Creating Healthy Organizations, inspired by the annual conference founded by Dr. Ludmila Praslova at Vanguard University. Together, we’ve been exploring what it really takes to build organizations—and lives—that positively impact people, planet, and profit.

More about Dr. Gena Cox

Dr. Gena Cox is an award-winning organizational psychologist, executive coach, and global thought leader who has spent over 25 years helping leaders elevate their impact and guiding them in building psychologically healthy workplaces. Named to the Thinkers50 Global Top 50 Coaches list, Gena brings a rare blend of psychological expertise, corporate leadership experience, and multicultural insight to her advisory and coaching engagements.

At the heart of Gena’s work is her evidence-based argument that inclusion is a leadership imperative, not an option, which must be built on a foundation of respect. She therefore believes that respect is the foundation of effective leadership. Her proprietary R-E-S-P-E-C-T Ethos TM framework provides leaders with a practical and actionable roadmap for ensuring that every employee feels respected (Seen, Heard, and Valued) at work.

Gena Cox is the author of the multiple award-winning book “Leading Inclusion: Drive Change Your Employees Can See and Feel”, a guide for leaders who want to build truly inclusive organizations from the top down. Her voice is a trusted one in the leadership space: she is a prolific writer and speaker on the intersection of leadership, psychology, and inclusion. She is a contributor to Forbes.com, and her ideas have been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Fortune, Bloomberg, The New York Times, and many other prominent business media outlets. She is frequently invited to keynote conferences and advise executive teams worldwide.

Before founding Feels Human LLC, her boutique advisory and coaching firm, Gena held leadership roles in major corporations, gaining an insider’s understanding of the pressures executives face—and the practical realities of leading in high-stakes environments.

Gena serves on the Professional Practice Editorial Board of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and chairs SIOP’s DEI White Paper Task Force. She is Chair-Elect of the American Psychological Association’s Committee for the Advancement of General and Applied Psychology (CAGAP).

Gena earned her PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida.

https://www.genacox.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/genacox

Free e-book, “25 Ways Anyone Can Help Build A Culture of Respect”:

https://genacox.com/respectebook/