Heart-Centered Leadership with Chrissy Chard | ep217
Hi there! I’m Chrissy Chard, PhD (she/they), and I’m delighted to share my thoughts on a topic that’s deeply meaningful to me: heart-centered leadership. Whether you’re leading a team, guiding a family, or simply navigating your daily relationships, these principles can help you approach leadership with greater intentionality and authenticity.
First, I want to thank you for taking the time to be here. I know you have countless other things you could be doing, and it means a lot that you’ve chosen to spend this moment with me. Let’s begin by pausing for a deep breath together. Taking a breath has this amazing way of grounding us and preparing us to fully engage with whatever comes next. This practice reminds me of a quote by somatics teacher Prentice Hemphill:
“Everything you think today will be served by taking one more breath. Everything that you say today will be served by you taking one more breath. Every interaction you have with someone else will be served by you taking one more breath.”
Breath allows us to hold space for contradictions—both within ourselves and between each other. By leaning into our breath, we can approach life’s complexities with curiosity rather than avoidance. Throughout this post, I invite you to pause and breathe whenever it feels supportive.
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Who I Am and Why This Matters
Before diving into the heart of today’s topic, I’d like to share a bit about myself. I’m the founder and coach of Courageous Parents, where I work with parents navigating the tricky terrain of raising kids. I also direct an advanced leadership training program in the Rocky Mountain region for public health professionals. My background includes a PhD in Human Bioenergetics and roles as a professor and researcher at the Colorado School of Public Health.
Importantly, my lived experiences shape my perspective. As a cis queer, neurodivergent white woman, I hold privileges and limitations that inform how I approach the world. Acknowledging this is part of my commitment to interrogating and dismantling oppressive systems, both internally and externally. This work—the ongoing journey of aligning my actions with my values—is at the heart of my coaching and leadership philosophy.
What Is Heart-Centered Leadership?
Heart-centered leadership is about being as much as it is about doing. While many leadership conversations focus on strategies and to-do lists, I believe true leadership stems from who we are and how we show up in every moment. At its core, heart-centered leadership fosters psychological safety, presence, and responsiveness in our relationships—whether at work, at home, or in our communities.
Today, we’ll explore three pillars of heart-centered leadership:
Self-Awareness
Wholehearted Listening
Courage
Pillar 1: Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is the foundation of heart-centered leadership. It’s about recognizing your thoughts, beliefs, habits, biases, and even your nervous system state. This isn’t about judgment; it’s about curiosity and attunement.
For example, think about a leader or colleague who enters a meeting and shifts the energy. Some people bring calm and grounding; others might heighten tension. Imagine the impact if they paused to acknowledge their internal state, saying:
“I’m feeling really worked up right now, and I imagine that’s affecting the room. I’m going to take a moment to ground myself before we continue.”
Now, picture how transformative that practice could be in your personal relationships. What if your partner came home and said, “I’m feeling activated from work. It’s not about you, but I’m going to step outside for a moment to reset so I can be fully present later.” Psychological safety starts here—with self-awareness.
How to Build Self-Awareness:
Develop a grounding practice, like deep breathing before conversations.
Reflect after challenging interactions to understand your triggers.
Journal regularly to explore patterns and emotions.
Pillar 2: Wholehearted Listening
Wholehearted listening goes beyond making someone feel heard. It’s about truly hearing them with humility and presence. This practice connects self-awareness to interpersonal connection, asking:
What’s coming up in me as I listen?
Am I resisting the urge to interrupt, advise, or shift focus?
How can I center my attention on this person?
This approach also involves tuning into nonverbal cues, such as body language or tone shifts. By noticing and addressing these subtle signals, we create psychologically safer spaces for open dialogue.
Reframe for Practice: Instead of aiming to “make someone feel heard,” commit to genuinely hearing them. This subtle shift dismantles hierarchical dynamics and fosters authentic communication.
Pillar 3: Courage
The third pillar is courage—the willingness to act in alignment with your values, even when it’s uncomfortable. Courage comes from the Latin word cor, meaning heart. It’s about showing up wholeheartedly and staying rooted in integrity.
Courage can look like:
Calling in a colleague or partner when their actions misalign with shared values.
Pausing to reflect before responding to harm.
Honoring your capacity and saying no when needed.
Sometimes, courage requires discernment—knowing when and how to speak up. Depending on our social identities, calling someone in or out may feel more or less safe. But remember, courage doesn’t always have to happen in the moment. Circling back to address harm later is equally valuable.
Recently, I faced a moment where my capacity was maxed out. I had an important workshop to lead but knew I couldn’t prepare as thoroughly as usual. Instead of pushing through, I leaned into the principle of less prep, more presence. By honoring my limits and showing up authentically, I created a meaningful experience for the group—and for myself.
Closing Reflections
Heart-centered leadership is about who we are and how we move through the world. It’s a commitment to:
Cultivating self-awareness
Practicing wholehearted listening
Embodying courage
Whether you’re parenting, leading a team, or engaging with loved ones, these practices ripple outward, creating safer, more connected relationships.
Take a moment to reflect: What’s one step you can take toward heart-centered leadership today?
Connect with Chrissy Chard, PhD (she/they)
Thank you for being here and exploring this journey with me.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to connect.
Together, let’s imagine and build a world shaped by wholehearted, courageous leadership.
Website: courageousparents.com
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About your host, Shirin Eskandani
Hi, love! I’m Shirin.
Coach, speaker, writer, and life alchemist.
I teach you how to listen to your intuition again, tune out all the BS, and let your heart lead the way.
Because once you strengthen your inner GPS, decisions become easier, boundaries become clearer, and belly laughs become a daily thing.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME:
I’m a certified life coach (accredited through the International Coach Federation)
My husband and I met on Instagram and we live in Brooklyn, NY with our plant babies
I have a masters degree in Music and was a professional opera singer for twelve years. I worked all over the world singing on stage at Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera (more on that later…).
I believe in the woo just as much as I do the work (internal and external). No amount of crystals and affirmations will make up for a lack of a healthy mindset and aligned action.
I love all the Real Housewives franchises. Don’t make me choose one… seriously, don’t.