Navigating Leadership with Julianne Guinasso and Poonam Natha: Building Cultures of Trust
Join Colleen, Poonam, and Julianne for an authentic conversation about transforming leadership in group practices and building better work cultures.
In the latest episode of Off the Chair, we dive into the world of leadership with Julianne Guinasso and Poonam Natha, founders of Level Up Leaders. These two trailblazers are redefining what it means to lead with empathy and resilience, especially in the high-pressure environment of group practice management.
The Journey to Leadership
Julianne and Poonam's journey began in community mental health settings, where they faced burnout and challenges that many leaders encounter. Their shared experiences and values led them to become supervisors and eventually, leadership consultants. They emphasize the importance of building trust and repairing relationships within teams, highlighting that leadership is not about perfection but about being human enough to come back after a rupture.
Creating a Culture of Trust
The duo discusses the critical role of culture in a successful practice. They argue that turnover is not just a financial drain but also a hit to morale and culture. By investing in a culture of trust and repair, practices can maintain stability even during transitions. Julianne and Poonam advocate for a relational ecosystem over traditional hierarchies, where everyone is responsible for how they show up in shared spaces. Colleen also shares from her own experiences of broken trust and culture-building challenges as a practice owner.
Leadership in a Remote World
With the shift to remote work, maintaining culture has become more challenging. For many leaders, there is a constant tension between hypervigilance—productivity tracking tools and micromanagement, for example—and being too lax, letting people underperform and disengage for too long without intervention. Julianne and Poonam suggest intentional connection moments and integrating cultural values into everyday practices. They stress the importance of compassionate accountability, where leaders hold their teams accountable while being empathetic to their realities and leading genuine conversations about solutions.
Building Better Leaders
Julianne and Poonam's insights offer a refreshing perspective on leadership, emphasizing the need for authenticity and shared responsibility. Their approach encourages leaders to embrace their humanity and foster environments where everyone can thrive. For those interested in learning more, they recommend visiting their website, levelupleaders.org, and taking their leadership assessment to discover your unique strengths.