Flailing & Flying episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 17, 2025 · 55 MIN

Flailing & Flying

from Stand in the & with Heather Gates · host Heather Gates

In this engaging conversation, Heather and Leah explore the themes of community transformation, resilience, and the importance of creating safe spaces for risk-taking. They discuss the metaphor of flailing and flying as a representation of learning and growth, emphasizing the need for leaders to foster environments where individuals can experiment and learn from their failures. The conversation highlights the significance of joy in the process of flailing and the necessity of self-compassion and reflection in personal growth.Disclaimer: The views and opinions shared in this episode belong solely to the guest and do not necessarily reflect those of their employer or affiliated organizations.Host: Heather Gates, MPH, Owner & Strategy Partner, Human-Centered Strategy, LLC Guest: Leah Ferguson, DrPH, Executive Director, Thrive Asheville TakeawaysFlailing is a necessary part of learning and resilience.Creating safe enough to fail spaces is crucial for growth.Leadership requires adaptability.Discomfort is a critical part of the learning process.Joy can be found in the flailing and experimentation.Your value is not tied to your productivity.We must support each other in the flail.Chapters02:43 Exploring Community Transformation05:24 Flailing and Flying: A Metaphor for Resilience11:33 Creating Safe Enough to Fail Spaces17:31 The Role of Leadership in Risk-Taking23:29 Navigating Discomfort and Growth29:24 The Importance of Joy in the FlailQuoted Resources & Tools in this Episodehttps://thecynefin.co/team/dave-snowden/ https://hbr.org/2007/11/a-leaders-framework-for-decision-making https://www.mos.org/why-did-dinosaurs-have-feathers Connect About the PodcastEmail us with your ideas and feedback: [email protected] the Podcast for more episodesSee what we’re up to on Instagram with all things “&”To request strategy partner & facilitation support from Human-Centered Strategy, visit us online at https://human-centeredstrategy.com/contact/Purchase the MerchStickers, mugs, and touchstones can be purchased here https://human-centeredstrategy.com/gifts/

In this engaging conversation, Heather and Leah explore the themes of community transformation, resilience, and the importance of creating safe spaces for risk-taking. They discuss the metaphor of flailing and flying as a representation of learning and growth, emphasizing the need for leaders to foster environments where individuals can experiment and learn from their failures. The conversation highlights the significance of joy in the process of flailing and the necessity of self-compassion ...

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Flailing & Flying

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This episode was published on October 17, 2025.

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In this engaging conversation, Heather and Leah explore the themes of community transformation, resilience, and the importance of creating safe spaces for risk-taking. They discuss the metaphor of flailing and flying as a representation of learning...

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