The Human Edge: Culture and Retention for Healthcare Leaders

What is your workplace culture really costing you? Hacia Atherton was told she would never walk again. Then she ran a marathon. Then she walked into boardrooms across the world asking leaders that one uncomfortable question.

Hacia is a CPA, Master of Applied Positive Psychology, international keynote speaker and author of Billion Dollar Blind Spot, a book that exposes the hidden financial and human cost of disengaged teams, toxic environments and overlooked belonging.

With Annastacia Wainaina she shares the Gallup stat that should stop every leader: $1 trillion lost to voluntary turnover every year, with 52% of those who left saying their manager could have stopped it. Plus why workplace silence is more dangerous than conflict, how toxic culture hides inside high-performing teams, why Gen Z is not job-hopping but escaping poor leadership, how three months of non-weight-bearing recovery taught her self-leadership, and a daily mirror practice for redefining success from someone who has had 30+ surgeries.

Find Hacia at haciasatherton.com. Billion Dollar Blind Spot is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Question to sit with: Of the people who left your organisation this year, how many could their manager have kept?

Free resource: explore Annastacia's WAINAINA Method leadership diagnostics at https://annastaciawainaina.com

Leading an executive team in healthcare, aged care or frontline operations? Apply for a free 30-minute Executive Culture Diagnostic Call: https://annastaciawainaina.com

All episodes and free leadership tools: https://t.mtrbio.com/humanedgepodcast

David Walker, former Comptroller General of the United States and head of the US Government Accountability Office (1998 to 2008), joins Annastacia Wainaina to discuss America's debt trajectory and the risks he sees for its superpower status by 2040.

Topics include the risk of a failed bond auction, why the US now pays more in interest than on national defense or Medicare, tariffs and foreign policy, the Ukraine-Russia war, China and what it means for Australia, AI's impact on productivity and employment, and intergenerational equity.

David Walker is the author of America 2040: Still a Superpower? More at America2040.com

The views expressed in this interview are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Human Edge Podcast.

All episodes and free leadership tools: https://t.mtrbio.com/humanedgepodcast

Psychological safety and psychosocial risk: how leaders can reduce burnout and lift productivity. Organisational psychologist Dr. Tessa Bailey, Director of the Opus Centre, joins Annastacia Wainaina on the link between psychosocial safety, mental health and workplace performance.

You'll learn why managing psychosocial risks can increase productivity by up to 70%, the difference between psychological safety and psychosocial safety, practical strategies leaders can implement on Monday morning, how to address the billion-dollar psychological claims problem in healthcare, and why emotional intelligence is non-negotiable for modern managers.

Real results shared: a manufacturing company with a 95% reduction in repetitive strain injuries, a childcare centre with a dramatic drop in staff exhaustion, and practical strategies for the healthcare sector. As Dr. Bailey's PhD research found, workers don't ask for ridiculous things, they ask for practical resources.

For CEOs, executives, HR and people leaders, and healthcare leaders and administrators.

Question to sit with: What practical resource are your people asking for that your policies keep answering with paperwork?

Free resource: the Culture Governance Audit Checklist at https://culture.annastaciawainaina.com

Leading an executive team in healthcare, aged care or frontline operations? Apply for a free 30-minute Executive Culture Diagnostic Call: https://annastaciawainaina.com

All episodes and free leadership tools: https://t.mtrbio.com/humanedgepodcast

Burnout and midlife health for leaders: what happens when your body starts whispering, then shouting, that the life you're living no longer fits who you are becoming?

Wambui Ndungu, a health and wellness coach with 20+ years in personal injury and rehabilitation, tells Annastacia Wainaina about the two years she ignored the signs: constant exhaustion, Sunday dread, brain fog, waking at 2am with anxiety and feeling disconnected from purpose. Then an unexpected career exit became the turning point.

They explore burnout versus chronic stress and why so many women normalise symptoms, how the body communicates misalignment long before the mind does, midlife health myths, sleep and circadian rhythms, the courage to step into a new identity, and what belonging means during reinvention.

Question to sit with: Which signal from your body have you been calling normal for too long?

Free resource: explore Annastacia's WAINAINA Method leadership diagnostics at https://annastaciawainaina.com

Leading an executive team in healthcare, aged care or frontline operations? Apply for a free 30-minute Executive Culture Diagnostic Call: https://annastaciawainaina.com

All episodes and free leadership tools: https://t.mtrbio.com/humanedgepodcast

Self-leadership after loss: Sandra Tembo shares how personal grief shaped her approach to authentic leadership, the importance of alignment, and her LIFE framework for making a meaningful impact.

With Annastacia Wainaina she explores how to rebuild connection, find your true purpose, and lead with courage and authenticity. For leaders and change-makers working on self-leadership and personal growth.

Question to sit with: What has loss taught you about the kind of leader you want to be?

Free resource: explore Annastacia's WAINAINA Method leadership diagnostics at https://annastaciawainaina.com

Leading an executive team in healthcare, aged care or frontline operations? Apply for a free 30-minute Executive Culture Diagnostic Call: https://annastaciawainaina.com

All episodes and free leadership tools: https://t.mtrbio.com/humanedgepodcast

Most success stories aren't straight lines. Mawunyo Gbogbo failed her high school exit exams with a score of 45 when the journalism school cutoff was in the mid-90s.

Instead of giving up, she took what her uncle called the curvy line. She stacked proof: radio clips on cassette, VHS tapes from TV work experience, newspaper bylines and professor references. When she reapplied, they couldn't say no.

The lesson for every leader: you don't need permission to be great. You need evidence of your value.

Question to sit with: What evidence of your value are you still waiting for someone else to approve?

Free resource: explore Annastacia's WAINAINA Method leadership diagnostics at https://annastaciawainaina.com

Leading an executive team in healthcare, aged care or frontline operations? Apply for a free 30-minute Executive Culture Diagnostic Call: https://annastaciawainaina.com

All episodes and free leadership tools: https://t.mtrbio.com/humanedgepodcast

Why leadership fails, and how to fix it in a hybrid workplace. Annastacia Wainaina sits down with leadership expert Dr. Tim Baker on the skills leaders need to succeed in a fast-changing world.

They cover building trust and psychological safety, adaptability and embracing change, leading hybrid teams, and how leaders can use AI well. For CEOs, managers and emerging leaders.

Question to sit with: Where has trust quietly broken down in your hybrid team, and who would tell you if it had?

Free resource: the Leading Under Pressure Field Guide at https://pressure.annastaciawainaina.com

Leading an executive team in healthcare, aged care or frontline operations? Apply for a free 30-minute Executive Culture Diagnostic Call: https://annastaciawainaina.com

All episodes and free leadership tools: https://t.mtrbio.com/humanedgepodcast

Resume or eulogy?

That question hit me hard while listening to Nelesh Makwana on Freedom Fire Podcast.

“At your funeral, they won’t read your resume. They’ll talk about how you made them feel.”

Nilesh didn’t just say it — he’s lived it.
From selling pens on a bicycle in India…
to flying business class and building a national tech company in Australia —
his story is a masterclass in purpose, persistence, and people.

He reminded me that building a career is great —
but building a life people remember is greater.

Here’s what stood out to me:
✅ Trust and kindness are long-term business strategies
✅ Failures are worth celebrating — they mean you’re trying
✅ Build a board of advisors — even if they’re imaginary
✅ Diversity works best when it’s natural, not performative
✅ Technology is powerful — but only when used for good

And most of all…

💡Your legacy is not your LinkedIn profile — it’s how people feel when your name is spoken.

Resume or eulogy?
We get to choose, every day.

Sarah Morse:

In this inspiring episode of Freedom Fire, Sarah Morse a former nurse turned humanitarian, professional speaker, and anti-slavery advocate reveals her transformative journey from healthcare to combating human trafficking and modern slavery.

🔥 Topics Sarah explores include:

What unfolded the night Tatiana disappeared

Her 30-year path since experiencing poverty at 17

The intersection of motherhood, justice work, and leadership

The Culture of Courage framework: survive → revive → thrive

How simple acts like daily gratitude can impact a team

The power of connection and empathy in today’s world

The real meaning of diversity and cultural respect at work

💡 “Choose one thing. Make it your legacy.”

This episode will ignite your drive and transform how you engage with the world.

“It's not about going back to the old life—it's about mapping out what the new one looks like.”

In this deeply personal conversation, we talk about the raw experience of returning to work after an extended break. The world has changed. We’ve changed. And that old version of life? It doesn’t fit anymore.

This episode is about:

• Facing the anxiety of reintegration

• Letting go of the pressure to “bounce back”

• Redefining success after burnout

• Reclaiming your story and rhythm on your own terms

💥 Whether you’re navigating a return to work, healing from burnout, or just feeling lost in transition, this one’s for you.

🔔 Subscribe for more honest, unfiltered conversations that spark change: Freedom Fires Podcast