Leading change is challenging

For anyone leading large scale social change, it’s a privilege and a challenge. We are passionate, servant leaders who care about making the world a better place. But it can be a lot to carry on your shoulders, it can be lonely, and it is often an uphill battle.

In 2018, I experienced severe burnout that resulted in me leaving my job as a public health professor. I am in the top 1% of most cited scientists worldwide but being a leader, mom and wife was challenging in the competitive world of medical science research. I was sad to leave a field I was so passionate about; using behavior science to help communities become healthy and sustainable.

I still support researchers who are writing grants for the National Institutes of Health and other health agencies worldwide. It is rewarding to help these leaders, who are often on the verge of burnout, like I was. And I get to play a contributing role in advancing important research on mental health, community capacity building, AI tools for reducing bias, and improving care for marginalized populations.

In my transition from academia, I created resources for other burned out professional moms, through my podcast and behavior change guides. I didn’t want other moms to believe they were not enough. I learned more about the maternal wall and the motherhood penalty, that are particularly prevalent in STEM, that mean women, especially women of color, have to constantly re-prove themselves - the first step on the 12 stages of burnout. But I am not a lifestyle coach, because although we can develop better coping skills, the biggest changes come when organizations change. I have developed a number of Human Capital Management tools to guide corporate leaders in translating their values into everyday behaviors so that cultures change.

One of my motivations to leave academia, was for my work to have greater long term impact beyond the local and global communities I partnered with and beyond the scientific community. I am excited by the number of women leading change as corporate sustainability officers. And as a mom, I care deeply about a more healthy and sustainable world. I am now also dedicated to translating the tools from my community leadership work for corporate leaders so that they can leverage their power to positively impact the world, using the science and practice of leading large scale social change. In particular, Scope 3 is an unprecedented opportunity for widespread change.

Please find sustainability courses, communities of practice, and tailored stakeholder leadership programs at: