Have you ever talked yourself out of an opportunity you were qualified for? Delayed sharing an idea? Stayed busy to avoid something uncomfortable? That may not be humility. It may be your flight response.

In this episode, Dr. Shauna Sobers continues the series on using the Resilience Tree™ model to self-regulate during trauma responses. This time the focus is the flight response and a practical tool she calls the RETREAT Check.

We often picture "flight" as physically running away, but at work it's far subtler: conflict avoidance, procrastination, perfectionism, overworking, and shrinking yourself when you've been invited to shine. For women leaders of color especially, these responses can be intensified by bias, exclusion, and environments where visibility has carried real risk.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What the flight response actually looks like in the workplace
• How each part of the Resilience Tree™ (Roots, Branches, Fruit, and Environment) supports you when fear says run
• Why trust is often the missing ingredient, and Gallup's four universal needs of followers
• The full RETREAT Check framework: Recognize, Examine, Tend the Roots, Reach Through the Branches, Evaluate the Environment, Aim for the Fruit, and Trust and Take One Step

Retreat isn't always avoidance. Sometimes retreat is restoration, and the wisdom is in knowing the difference.

Free companion worksheet: Walk through the full RETREAT Check on your own time. Download it at: resiliencetreemodel.com/wsretreatcheck 

Grab Dr. Sobers' book, Resilience Tree: A Model for Women Leaders of Color and Those Who Support Them, at www.shaunatsobers.com/books

Learn more at www.shaunatsobers.com

Keep tending,
~Dr. Sobers

Have you ever felt your heart racing and the urge to defend yourself the moment someone challenged your decision in a meeting?

That's your nervous system in survival mode; and it has a name: the fight trauma response. In this episode of the Living the Resilience Tree™ Podcast, Dr. Shauna T. Sobers gets honest about what happens when leaders react from fight mode, and how the Resilience Tree model can help you transform that survival instinct into intentional, empowered leadership.

Dr. Sobers shares a personal story about being publicly challenged by a team member, and what she learned about the buildup of stress, bias, and past experiences that shape our reactions in the moment.

In this episode, you'll explore:

🌱 What the fight trauma response looks like in leadership settings

🌱 How the 4 components of the Resilience Tree (Roots, Branches, Fruit & Environment) help you move from reactive to intentional

🌱 Practical steps to pause, set boundaries, and rebuild trust after a strong reaction

🌱 Reflection questions to help you identify your triggers and respond differently next time

Whether you're leading a team or leading yourself, this episode is your reminder that great leadership isn't about perfection, it's about awareness, intention, and growth.

00:00 Introduction

00:53 What is the Fight Trauma Response

02:00 Dr. Sobers' Personal Story

02:42 How the Resilience Tree Model Helps

03:09 ROOTS - Grounding Practices

03:35 BRANCHES - Your Support System

03:51 FRUIT - Boundaries & Intentional Responses

04:17 ENVIRONMENT - Psychological Safety

04:36 How Fight Response Impacts Leadership

05:17 Practical Steps to Transform your Fight Response

06:20 Reflection Questions

06:42 Closing & Book Recommendation

______________________________________________________________________________

🎧 📖 Resilience Tree book available in audio or print → www.shaunatsobers.com/books

🔗 Follow Dr. Sobers on LinkedIn & Instagram: @ShaunaTSobers

🌐 Visit www.shaunatsobers.com to book Dr. Sobers for speaking, workshops, and coaching.

What if your hesitation at work isn’t indecision; but your nervous system trying to protect you?

In this episode of Living the Resilience Tree™ Podcast (formerly known as Empowering You!), Dr. Shauna T. Sobers breaks down the freeze trauma response in leadership; how it shows up, why it happens, and how to move through it using the Resilience Tree Model.

You’ll learn how to:

• Recognize freeze in yourself and others
• Distinguish between intentional pause and trauma response
• Understand the brain science behind freeze
• Rebuild trust in leadership when silence is misunderstood
• Apply Roots, Branches, Fruit, and Environment to return to grounded leadership

This episode is a reminder that: Freezing is not weakness; it’s a signal!

When we learn to listen, we can lead with clarity, compassion, and resilience.

🔗 Learn more, book Dr. Sobers, or order The Resilience Tree: www.shaunatsobers.com

Not every survival response is fight, flight, or freeze.

There’s another one that often hides in plain sight: fawn. It shows up when we over-accommodate, people-please, or silence ourselves to stay safe.

In this episode of Living the Resilience Tree™ Podcast (formerly known as Empowering You!), Dr. Shauna T. Sobers shares a personal story of being triggered into this trauma response and how she now uses her Resilience Tree Model to navigate it differently

• ​grounding her body,
• ​leaning on trusted branches of support,
• ​offering her fruit authentically, and
• ​assessing her environment.

We’ll explore:

• ​What the fawn trauma response looks like in leadership
• ​Why Gallup’s research shows trust is the foundation of followership
• ​How Simon Sinek’s “8 minutes” research can be a lifeline for breaking cycles of negative self-talk
• ​Reflection prompts to help you notice and shift your own responses

This is about more than survival; it’s about leadership, trust, and resilience.

Order Resilience Tree: A Model for Women Leaders of Color and Those Who Support Them at shaunatsobers.com/books

#resiliencetree #traumaresponse #podcast #empowerment #fawn #survivalmode #resilience #leadership

___________________________________________________

Follow Dr. Sobers on LinkedIn or Instagram at @ShaunaTSobers or visit ⁠www.shaunatsobers.com⁠ to book Dr. Sobers for speaking, workshop facilitation, and coaching.

In this episode of Living the Resilience Tree™ Podcast (former Empowering YOU!), Dr. Shauna T. Sobers dives into self-talk and how your inner dialogue can either lead you forward or hold you back.

Your inner voice isn’t always your own! It’s often shaped by old expectations, pressures, or systems. But the words you choose for yourself matter. They shape your confidence, decisions, and trust as a leader.

Dr. Shauna T. Sobers unpacks:

• Why your self-talk isn’t always truly yours
• How the Resilience Tree model helps reframe your inner dialogue
• Protective vs. grounded self-talk
• Practical ways to shift from critic to coach

👉 Like, comment, and subscribe for more strengths-based strategies to empower your leadership journey.

📖 Dive deeper with my book: Resilience Tree: A Model for Women Leaders of Color and Those Who Support Them at: www.shaunatsobers.com/books

#Podcast #SelfTalk #Leadership #ResilienceTree

_______________________________________________________________

Connect with Dr. Sobers on LinkedIn and Instagram @ShaunaTSobers or visit www.shaunatsobers.com for speaking engagements and coaching.

Ever had a gut feeling you weren’t sure you could trust? That split-second instinct that makes you pause, hesitate, or say “no”?

In this episode, I dive into:

• How to tell the difference between wisdom, fear, and trauma responses
• Why self-trust is key to leading with clarity and courage
• A simple, powerful metaphor from aerial silks that shows how to acknowledge fear without letting it take the lead

If you’re ready to strengthen your intuition, pause with purpose, and lead from a place of grounded confidence, this episode is for you!

🎧 Listen now and discover how to make your gut your guide, not your guard

Follow Dr. Sobers on LinkedIn or Instagram at @ShaunaTSobers or visit ⁠www.shaunatsobers.com⁠ to book Dr. Sobers for coaching or workshop facilitation.

#EmpoweringYouPodcast #Leadership #GutCheck #SelfTrust #ResilienceTree #StrengthsBasedLeadership

In this episode of Empowering YOU: A Strengths-Based Podcast for Leaders of Leaders, Dr. Shauna T. Sobers explores a key truth about trust: it begins with the invitation.

Drawing from her own career experience, Dr. Sobers shows how both leaders and followers shape trust, highlighting the power of agency, boundaries, and authentic partnerships. She also connects this lesson to her Resilience Tree Model, focusing on the Branches, the relationships that support your growth and leadership journey.

📚 Learn more in her book: Resilience Tree: A Model for Women Leaders of Color and Those Who Support Them → shaunatsobers.com/books

Like, subscribe, and share to join a community of leaders stepping boldly into growth.

#ResilienceTree #Leadership #Trust #CliftonStrengths #EmpoweringYOU

Follow Dr. Sobers on LinkedIn or Instagram at @ShaunaTSobers or visit ⁠www.shaunatsobers.com⁠ to book Dr. Sobers for coaching or workshop facilitation.

What if discovering your greatest strengths was as simple as paying attention to what lights you up? In this episode of EmpoweringYOU!, I walk you through the 5Es of Talent - Enthusiasm, Ease, Excellence, Enjoyment, and Energy.These five clues help you notice the moments when you feel most alive, most confident, and most authentic.By the end of this episode, you’ll have practical ways to uncover the talents already within you—and the courage to honor them in your leadership journey.Because leadership isn’t about striving to be someone else, it’s about leaning into who you already are.Mahalo for tuning in, Leaders—let’s grow together!Follow Dr. Sobers on LinkedIn or Instagram at @ShaunaTSobers or visit ⁠www.shaunatsobers.com⁠ to book Dr. Sobers for coaching or workshop facilitation.

What if discovering your greatest strengths was as simple as paying attention to what lights you up?

In this episode of EmpoweringYOU!, I walk you through the 5Es of Talent - Enthusiasm, Ease, Excellence, Enjoyment, and Energy.

These five clues help you notice the moments when you feel most alive, most confident, and most authentic.

By the end of this episode, you’ll have practical ways to uncover the talents already within you—and the courage to honor them in your leadership journey.

Because leadership isn’t about striving to be someone else, it’s about leaning into who you already are.

Mahalo for tuning in, Leaders—let’s grow together!

Follow Dr. Sobers on LinkedIn or Instagram at @ShaunaTSobers or visit ⁠www.shaunatsobers.com⁠ to book Dr. Sobers for coaching or workshop facilitation.

strengths-based approach to personal and professional development with examples and insights from your host, Dr. Shauna T. Sobers.The term "CliftonStrengths" and each of the 34 individual talent theme names are protected trademarks of Gallup.If you are interested in taking the CliftonStrengths Assessment visit https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengt...Follow @ShaunaTSobers on YouTube, LinkedIn, or Instagram or visit ⁠www.shaunatsobers.com⁠ to book Dr. Sobers for coaching or workshop facilitation.