Why Your Best Employees Are Operating from Survival Mode Without You Knowing with Elizabeth Vahey Smith
Are you leading with the assumption that your team is operating from a place of psychological safety? The reality might shock you. Recent research reveals that 80% of workplace professionals have experienced trauma that directly impacts how they show up at work—and most leaders have no idea it's happening.
What happens when that high-performing employee suddenly becomes reactive during feedback sessions? Or when your most talented team member can't seem to engage during meetings? Elizabeth Vahey Smith, COO of TCK Training and trauma-informed care practitioner, has spent over a decade researching how unprocessed experiences shape workplace behavior, and the findings will change how you think about leadership entirely.
From her base in Vietnam, where she's currently traveling through her 27th country with her family, Elizabeth brings a unique perspective on how global mobility, cultural transitions, and everyday workplace interactions can create lasting impacts on our nervous systems. Her research shows that while "big T" traumas like natural disasters rarely trigger workplace responses, it's the "little t" traumas, those moments that make us feel helpless or unsafe, that create the biggest leadership challenges.
In this conversation, Elizabeth reveals why that simple phrase "we need to talk" sends so many employees into panic mode, and how leaders can make tiny pivots that completely transform team dynamics. She shares the difference between cultural adaptation and trauma response, and explains why some of your most valuable employees might be operating in survival mode while appearing to be your top performers.
Here are 5 key insights you can expect from this episode on building psychologically safe, high-performing teams:
- The 80% reality check - Why most of your team is likely carrying workplace trauma and how it's showing up in ways you haven't recognized.
- Big T versus little T trauma - How to distinguish between major life events and the accumulated experiences that actually create the most workplace triggers.
- Curiosity-led conversations - A powerful framework for starting difficult discussions that builds trust instead of triggering defensive responses.
- Cultural adaptation versus trauma response - How to identify whether employee reactions stem from cultural differences or deeper safety concerns.
- The hidden cost of hyper-vigilance - Why your most productive employees might be heading toward burnout and how to intervene before it's too late.
If you've ever wondered why some team members seem to overreact to normal workplace situations, or if you're a globally mobile professional trying to understand your own responses to leadership and change, this conversation provides both the research and the practical tools you need. Elizabeth's work proves that trauma-informed leadership isn't just compassionate. It's strategic, profitable, and essential for building the kinds of teams where people actually want to stay and grow.
00:00:00
The Hidden Reality of Workplace Trauma
00:02:58
From Papua New Guinea to Global Leadership
00:07:19
Understanding Big T vs Little T Trauma at Work
00:11:59
Building Psychological Safety Through Curiosity
00:15:56
Trauma vs Cultural Differences in the Workplace
00:19:55
The Unexpected Benefits of Trauma Experience
00:26:52
Preventing Burnout Through Recovery Skills
00:30:27
Research Insights on Workplace Psychological Safety
00:37:34
Managing Fear-Based Leadership and Dark Triad Personalities
00:42:29
Connecting with Trauma-Informed Leadership Resources including her book Trauma-Informed Leadership
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Lori Adams-Brown, Host & Executive Producer
A World of Difference Podcast
