It’s been more than a hard week
If you’ve been part of a start‑up, at any level, you know how quickly tension can spiral from “a rough stretch” to feeling like you have to protect yourself.
Working with a group of founders, here’s how a recent scenario unfolded:
- One leader shared a vision that, while adopted by the team, hadn’t yet materialized.
- Another leader was waiting for her part of the effort to go live before she invested real energy into her role.
- A third leader decided the best way to be proactive was to micro‑manage everyone’s efforts with frequent meetings…leaving the rest of the team resisting his efforts because they felt there was nothing yet to offer.
Because there was such a disconnect in how each leader approached their role, distrust and frustration mounted until it hit a boiling point.
Most organizations don’t call this trauma. They might label it disengagement, lack of accountability, resistance, or just poor morale. But the impact on people’s nervous systems and sense of safety can be much closer to what researchers describe as workplace trauma.
How workplace trauma develops
Workplace trauma refers to the psychological or emotional distress people experience because of harmful or unsafe work environments. It can come from a single crisis or, more often, from repeated patterns that slowly erode a person’s sense of security and worth.
In an article from Strategy People Culture Consulting, Andy Botwin highlights five common sources of workplace trauma:
- Job insecurity
- Bullying and harassment
- Exposure to violence
- Inadequate support systems
- Unfair treatment
As you might imagine, not everyone responds the same way to similar stressful situations.
Chronic work‑related trauma can keep people in a fight‑or‑flight state, making them feel constantly overwhelmed, hyper‑vigilant, or both. When you’re in this state, you are more likely to react strongly to even small disagreements. You might avoid interactions and ghost your team, or erupt in a face‑to‑face or email battle that goes far beyond what the situation actually calls for.
The power of leadership observation
When leaders recognize these patterns in their teams or colleagues, one of the strongest ways to partner with them is to become more curious. That starts with open‑ended questions that begin with how, what, where.
The next step is listening for what is most distressing for that individual and exploring how they would like to move through the situation. Maybe it calls for a shift in priorities, fewer or more focused meetings, clearer expectations, or simply a safe place to vent and recover.
As a leader, you don’t have to diagnose the conflict that now feels traumatic for your team member. But after engaging with them, you can help create a safer, clearer, and more welcoming work environment. And if they need additional support, you can help them find the right resources.
Where we’re headed next
I opened this piece with three founders in conflict over how they approached their work. As we stayed with the conversation, it became clear that at least two of them were experiencing a high level of workplace trauma. Underneath their frustration was a deeper fear of being seen as unnecessary and a sense of not being supported. They were at a critical juncture that threatened to rupture their team.
Recognizing when your people are living in protection mode is critical. Without that awareness, they rarely get the chance to move forward. With it, you begin to create the conditions for healing…and the possibility of post‑traumatic growth.
Next week, we’ll take a deeper dive into what trauma‑informed leadership looks like day to day. We’ll look at practical ways to lead that increase trust and make honest conversation more likely, even in the middle of hard seasons.
I’d love to hear if you’ve noticed these patterns on your own team, or yourself.
