The Ground Floor Podcast Episode 3: Authentic Leadership in Uncertain Times with Dr. Nicole Assisi

Episode 3 of The Ground Floor Podcast

What does it take to lead — and to keep leaders — when nonprofits and schools are navigating more uncertainty than ever before? In this episode of The Ground Floor, Christina sits down with Dr. Nicole Assisi, CEO of Thrive, to talk about what it really takes to build leadership that lasts.

Nicole brings decades of experience as a teacher, principal, superintendent, and now executive coach and strategy partner to nonprofits and school systems across California and beyond. She and Christina dig into:

• Why the era of buttoned-up "persona leadership" is over — and what authentic leadership looks like in practice
• The four C's of retaining great people when compensation alone isn't enough: collaboration, culture, coaching, and yes, comp (including the story of a leader who turned down a $700K role over culture)
• Why hiring is only step one — and why losing a leader is more expensive than finding one
• What boards need to learn to be great supervisors of CEOs and EDs, not just great fiduciaries
• Coaching as "becoming yourself with more skill" — not becoming someone else
• Why coherence beats more initiatives in a hectic moment, and how leaders can resist the hamster wheel of putting out fires

A grounded, practical conversation for board members, executives, and anyone thinking about how to build organizations where leaders can do their best work — and stay.