balancing the needs of humanity against the demands of the mission

an overview of rooted leadership as a model for resilience and adaptability

If you’re a leader feeling the weight of navigating the complexity and uncertainty of evolving demands, shifting priorities, and the unique challenges of trauma-exposed organizations—let me start by saying, you’re not alone.

In workplaces shaped by trauma—whether due to external crises, internal conflicts, or the ongoing pressures of mission-driven work—the challenges go beyond what most organizations face. Burnout, disengagement, compassion fatigue, and moral injury aren’t just occasional occurrences; they are woven into the fabric of daily operations. These effects ripple through teams, eroding trust, morale, and productivity, yet they often remain unacknowledged and unaddressed.

In this moment of shared hardship, stress, and trauma, rooted leadership offers a way forward.

At its core, leadership has always been about how we show up, how we connect with others, and how we make people feel. Yet over time, leadership became tied to titles, accolades, and relentless productivity. This shift, driven by industrialization and profit- and productivity-driven priorities, has led many organizations to forget that true leadership is about creating environments where people feel valued, safe, and supported.

This kind of leadership—rooted leadership—is what our world desperately needs in this era of overlapping crises, challenges, and trauma.

What Does It Mean to Be a Rooted Leader?

Rooted leaders are grounded in empathy, resilience, and purpose. They understand that leadership isn’t about exerting control or chasing metrics; it’s about addressing the root causes of organizational challenges and building connections that foster healing and trust. Rooted leaders balance the humanity of their teams with the demands of their missions, knowing that fostering trust, belonging, and a sense of shared purpose are critical to individual and organizational success.

Rooted leaders also recognize the unique challenges of trauma-exposed organizations—where the work itself often exposes teams to secondary trauma, moral dilemmas, and relentless stress. They have the capacity and skills to navigate these realities with clarity and care, guiding their teams through adversity with courage and compassion.

But rooted leadership doesn’t stop at the individual.

Rooted Organizations: A Model for Resilience and Adaptability

Rooted leaders create rooted organizations—places where values are not just statements but actionable principles that guide every decision and interaction. Rooted organizations provide stability amidst chaos, clarity amidst confusion, and hope amidst fear. They cultivate resilience, adaptability, and purpose, and they are grounded in trust and psychological safety.

Rooted organizations prioritize the well-being of their people while ensuring the mission thrives. They balance metrics with humanity, acknowledging that systemic change and sustainable service cannot be achieved without addressing organizational trauma, burnout, and disengagement.

Creating a rooted organization isn’t about choosing between impact and care—it’s about recognizing that one cannot exist without the other. To build such environments, leaders must embrace practices that build trust, foster belonging, and center the humanity of everyone involved.

Why I Created the /rōoted/ leader

I'm launching the /rōoted/ leader because I believe there's a critical need to bridge the gap between teaching people to supervise and empowering them to truly lead with trust, resilience, and human-centered practices. Leadership is about more than managing tasks and meeting metrics—it’s about inspiring growth, building connection, and creating environments where both people and purpose can flourish. Using this perspective as a starting point, each week, I’ll share insights and practices for rooted leadership—how to ground yourself as a leader, foster connection in your team, and create organizations where metrics, mission, and humanity thrive together. My intention is for this publication to be more than a newsletter; my hope is it becomes a space for reflection and growth, a resource to navigate uncertainty, and a guide for addressing the challenges of trauma-exposed workplaces.

Together we’ll explore tools and strategies to tackle compassion fatigue, moral injury, and burnout while building human-centered workplaces where rooted in resilience and well-being.

I believe rooted leaders and rooted organizations can change the world—because they begin with what matters most: our shared humanity. By embracing rooted leadership, you have the power to create environments where trust, adaptability, and sustainable service are not just aspirations but everyday realities.

Welcome to the /rōoted/ leader.

Let’s grow, together.

With gratitude,

p.s. Click here to have the /rōoted/ leader delivered to your inbox. For a deeper dive into these topics from an individual and spiritual lens, be sure to check out /rōot/by dimple dhabalia.?

Dimple Dhabalia is a writer, podcaster, multidisciplinary storyteller, and humanitarian with over twenty years of front-line and management experience in the US government. In 2021 Dimple founded Roots in the Clouds, a boutique consulting firm specializing in using trauma-informed leadership to create systemic change for sustainable service. Dimple is the best-selling author of Tell Me My Story—Challenging the Narrative of Service Before Self, named a 2024 NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite and excerpted by the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Her work has been featured in Fast Company, CEO World Magazine, and the Federal News Network. To learn more about Dimple and her work, visit www.rootsintheclouds.com or connect with her @dimpstory on all social media platforms and Substack.