These are notes from the inside — of leadership, of change, of staying whole in the face of systems that often ask us not to be. The Olive Pages is where care and clarity meet, one reflection at a time.
The Olive Pages
Fieldnotes on care, clarity and staying whole.
Trauma-Informed Organizations: Culture, Systems & the Future of Staff Well-being
Humanitarian organizations don’t become trauma-informed through slogans, policies, or campaigns. They become trauma-informed through how people experience the system…in decisions, communication, change processes, and the way leaders handle the hard moments. This post explores what a trauma-informed organization feels like and why system care, not individual resilience, must shape the future of staff well-being in a sector already carrying so much.
“Trauma-informed systems don’t erase the difficulty of humanitarian work, they simply refuse to become another source of harm.”
“Quick Fix Culture” and the Leaders Who Keep It Alive
When leaders prioritize optics over care, staff pay the price. Let’s talk about how quick fixes undermine well-being, and how we change the pattern.
"You can’t build a culture of care while rewarding the behaviors that erode it."
Your Well-being Is a Leadership Skill
Leaders who ignore their own limits model burnout as a badge. The best leaders practice well-being as a form of responsibility.
"You can’t lead others well if you treat yourself as expendable."