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.
What Trauma-Informed Leadership Looks Like in Practice
Trauma-informed leadership isn’t therapy, it’s the steady, grounded, human way of leading that people in humanitarian work have always deserved. It looks like clarity instead of confusion, repair instead of avoidance, and boundaries that honor dignity rather than distance. In this post, we explore how trauma-informed leadership shows up in everyday moments…in tone, communication, decision-making, and the small signals that shape how safe (or unsafe) people feel at work.
What We Carry: The Invisible Weight of Humanitarian Work
Humanitarian work asks more of people than most will ever see. Much of what staff carry stays invisible… the grief, the moral injury, the exhaustion, the pressure to be “fine.” This is why a trauma-informed approach to leadership and organizational care is essential. Not because people are fragile, but because they’re human…and the weight of this work deserves to be met with steadiness, dignity, and compassion.
The Cost of Ignoring Staff Well-being in Humanitarian Work
In humanitarian work, our people are our power—but we often fail to protect them. This post explores the urgent cost of ignoring staff well-being and calls for a cultural shift that puts care, safety, and humanity at the heart of impact.
“If we neglect the well-being of those who serve, we undermine the very mission we’re trying to achieve.”
Staying Whole in a Breaking System: Notes from the Frontline of Staff Care
What does it mean to stay whole in systems that are fraying? This is a reflection — and an invitation — for humanitarians, leaders, and anyone who’s tired of holding it all together alone.
“Wholeness isn’t perfection. It’s presence. It’s remembering that you matter too.”