Talking TA

In this episode of Talking TA, Denise Chaffin sits down with leadership expert and author Minette Norman, founder of Minette Norman Consulting to unpack what it truly means to lead with humanity in today’s workplace. Drawing from her 30-year career in Silicon Valley and her books The Psychological Safety Playbook and The Boldly Inclusive Leader, Minette shares real-world stories that expose the hidden costs of fear-based leadership, emotional reactivity, and exclusion. The conversation explores why leaders don’t need to have all the answers, how listening is one of the most underdeveloped leadership skills, and why normalizing mistakes is essential for innovation and trust. Minette also dives into inclusive leadership, dismantling in-groups, and the neuroscience behind workplace exclusion. This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership is not about control or perfection, but about creating environments where people feel safe to speak up, contribute, and do their best work. Key Episode Segments: • Psychological safety is shaped by leader behavior Leaders set the emotional tone, how they respond under pressure determines whether people speak up or shut down. • Listening is a leadership skill, not a personality trait True listening requires presence, curiosity, and resisting the urge to prepare your response while others are speaking. • Admitting “I don’t know” builds credibility, not weakness Leaders gain trust when they elevate others’ expertise instead of pretending to have all the answers. • Failure must be discussed to drive improvement Teams that openly talk about mistakes learn faster and perform better than teams that hide them. • Inclusion is intentional, not accidental Leaders must actively dismantle in-groups, share power, and ensure all voices are heard.