In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I speak with James Ferguson, an award-winning Culture Pioneer and respected voice in workplace culture. James shares how losing jobs, working under poor leaders, and facing an aggressive cancer treatment shaped the way he thinks about leadership, perspective, and perseverance.
During his treatment, a doctor warned James that the chemotherapy could “remove the glue” holding him together. James made a personal decision that it would not remove his glue. That experience later became a powerful leadership analogy: every day, our words, actions, and decisions either strengthen or weaken the glue holding a workplace culture together.
James also speaks candidly about the downside of being highly resilient. When you pride yourself on overcoming hardship, you can remain under harmful leadership, expect others to recover as quickly as you do, and forget that people need compassion as well as encouragement.
Our conversation is a reminder that becoming unshakable does not mean making every decision correctly or pushing through every situation alone. It means examining what an experience is teaching us, recognizing when something must change, and allowing other people to face adversity in their own way.
Has resilience ever helped you survive a difficult season while also keeping you there longer than was healthy? Listen to the conversation and share your thoughts.
About James Ferguson
James Ferguson is a globally recognized, award-winning Culture Pioneer, and one of the most trusted voices in Workplace Culture today. A Top 100 Inspiring Workplaces Winner, 4x Top 30 Organizational Culture Professional by Global Gurus, a 3x Top 50 Most Inspirational Person in Hospitality by IHI, Top Workplaces award recipient, and the Best-Selling Author of The Confetti Culture Playbook. James is the go-to expert to increase engagement and build a culture worth celebrating!
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About Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP
Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP 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.
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