This Caring Leader Transformed Pain into Purpose

by

In this compelling episode of the Leadership with Heart Podcast, Maureen Leahy, Chief Clinical Officer at Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice, shares her profound journey as a seasoned healthcare professional and a resilient individual. From pioneering hospice services in the U.S. to her impactful role at SSRCH, Maureen's path has been marked by accolades, personal losses, and a commitment to compassionate care. Having cared for her father battling cancer, her mother with dementia, and experiencing her own battle with cancer, Maureen's unique perspective emphasizes the importance of empathy, communication, and shared human moments in healthcare. As a pioneer in hospice and palliative care, she played a crucial role in developing training guides, embodying a holistic approach to patient and family well-being. Her recent role at SSRCH reflects a perfect alignment of expertise and leadership, contributing to the community's mission of providing compassionate care and enhancing quality of life during life's most sacred moments.

I learned what type of nurse I didn't want to be...

Watch the podcast in video here

The Listening Guide

Create a listening culture that elevates the employee experience with The Listening Guide.

Discover 3 approaches to listening inside an organization and ensure those you lead feel heard.

  • Understand why listening is key to employee engagement
  • Learn how the Cycle of Listening contributes to strong workplace relationships
  • Get a practical framework for creating a bidirectional, responsive, and supportive listening culture

Download it here. 

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WHEN YOU’RE READY, HERE’S HOW WE CAN HELP:

Engage your people with work culture consulting:
https://employeefanatix.com/

Hire Heather to speak to your group:
https://www.heatheryounger.com

Access free Art of Caring Leadership resources:
https://www.caringleadership.co/free-downloads

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About Heather R Younger

Heather R Younger is a highly sought-after speaker, 2x-TEDx speaker, diversity, equity and inclusion strategist, and contributor to leading news outlets. She is also the Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement and consulting firm.

After over 25,000 employee engagement surveys and years of working with organizations to transform employee engagement, here’s what Heather has seen over and over:

When you know how to listen, employees will tell you exactly what they need to bring their full selves to work.

Book Heather to speak at your event or organization. Visit heatheryounger.com or https://www.cmispeakers.com/heather-r-younger for more details.

Becoming Unshakeable Podcast

With Heather R. Younger

Becoming Unshakable is the podcast for leaders, creators, and changemakers who know TRUE LEADERSHIP starts from within.

Each episode explores what it takes to lead with resilience, compassion, and purpose while staying human through it all.

Through candid conversations with executives, frontline leaders, coaches, and everyday heroes, Heather uncovers the real stories behind growth, compassion, setbacks, and transformation.

From navigating change to creating emotionally safe cultures, Becoming Unshakable reveals what it really takes to create leaders—and organizations—that can’t be shaken.

Listen Now >
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Hi, I'm Heather

I've been through every type of
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
you can think of.

Layoffs, reorgs, mergers, acquisitions and major technology shifts. More than 20 years leading teams through high-stakes situations where results mattered, people depended on me, and decisions couldn't wait.

Those years taught me how to lead. But they also showed me the hidden cost of always being the one who holds it all together.

During our second reorg in less than a year, I walked out of a meeting with no say in what was happening, just marching orders. When my team asked how the meeting went, I should have said, “Give me 15 minutes to process this.” But I didn't. Instead, I let them absorb every ounce of my frustration.

Then I saw their faces.

The people who looked to me for stability had just watched me unravel. What was that teaching them about their ability to handle the pressure?

That moment changed how I saw my role as a leader. Leading teams isn't only about grit or resilience. It's about how your presence builds the trust your team needs to function when things get hard.

Today, I help organizations build unshakable leaders, teams, and cultures. Because when leaders become the calm teams can count on, organizations don't just survive change, they come out strong enough to handle what’s next.

Book Heather >
Heather Sitting
Best Gift Ever

Caring Leadership Kit ...A Free Gift of Resources Designed to Help You Reach Your Full Potential as a Caring Leader

Access Free Gifts Including Caring Leadership® Videos, Active Listening Guides, Accountability Plans, and Resources

  • A checklist with the 9 key tenets of caring leadership to help you have a positive impact on those you lead.
  • The Three R's of Resilience: an easy-to-remember and effective framework and cheatsheet so you can fortify your organization for future challenges.
  • The Art of Caring Leadership downloadable and printable poster, to remind you of the central tenets of caring leadership while brightening up your office!
  • The Cycle of Active Listening Guide with 20-point quiz so you can elevate the workplace experience for everyone.
  • The Art of Active Listening 21-Day Calendar for simple ways to be a better listener.
  • Caring Leadership® Accountability Plans, videos, and more!

Contact Heather Today!
+1 403-398-8488

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Contact Heather Today!
+1 403-398-8488

Contact
Contact

I'm really interested in...

(select all that apply)*

I can be reached at...

Additional Comments