How Leaders Can Understand Complex Human Systems & Create Psychological Safety

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Martha Acosta, a sought after speaker, facilitator, and expert in Human and Organizational Learning who helps high-reliability organizations navigate the complexity of human systems in their operations. Martha is a member of the HOP HUB Consortium with other thought leaders in the Human and Organizational Performance movement. Martha also represents Harvard Business Publishing (a subsidiary of Harvard Business School) as Senior Moderator who designs and facilitates leadership development programs based on Harvard scholarship. Before joining Harvard, Martha led the Human Performance Improvement Team for the nuclear facilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), where she helped develop a national safety initiative for the Department of Energy and won LANL's Director's Achievement Award. Martha began her career in Silicon Valley helping fast-growing technology companies build the sales and support capacity needed to commercialize their innovative solutions. Later, she led the design and delivery of global leadership programs for a division of News International in the United Kingdom.

For 25 years, as a consultant and educator, Martha has helped countless leaders in high-reliability industries to manage volatility, uncertainty and ambiguity for improved safety, strategy-implementation, innovation, learning and problem-solving. Martha writes, speaks and conducts research on the cognitive and emotional aspects of safety and leadership. Martha earned a Doctorate in Human and Organizational Learning from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She earned both a MBA and MA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She studied math, science, philosophy and literature at St. John's College, graduating with a BA from the Annapolis, Maryland campus. She also completed a graduate credential in training systems development from San Francisco State University.

As a woman of color, Martha serves her community by working as a Director on non-profit boards. She serves on the Governance Committee of the LANL Foundation, which supports underserved students in Northern New Mexico. She is also a member of the Board of Visitors and Governors of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico, for which she serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force as well as the Audit, Enrollment and Trustee Committees. She previously sat on the Board of Homewise, a non-profit affordable housing developer and mortgage bank. Martha lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, where she enjoys the arts and the outdoors.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

• How to build capacity to be error-tolerant and respond to failure effectively
• How leaders can create an environment of physiological safety and the misconceptions that come with it
• The common knowledge effect and how leaders hide their expertise to feel safe in a group
• How to change your relationship to your ego
• Taking an appreciative approach to your dissatisfaction to understand the gap of where you are and where you want to be

Connect with Martha:

martica.com

To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook