Falling Apart Is Breaking Open: Burnout, Redefining Success, and Whole-Human Leadership with Laura Saldivar Luna
·
01:19:38
|
Leadership coach and former Teach For America Chief People Officer Laura Saldivar Luna spent forty years defining success as the next achievement. When everything started breaking down at once, she asked a harder question: what if the problem was how she was relating to her own life?
In this episode of Ronderings, Ron sits down with Laura, founder of Piñata Possible, to talk about what comes after you have checked every box and still have to ask what you actually want.
It started at six, when a first-place trophy from a citywide math competition left her wanting more of that feeling. A first-generation Georgetown graduate, she told anyone at Teach For America headquarters who would listen that she would launch the San Antonio region within five years. She did, and watched her first 100 corps members teach in the same schools she attended growing up. Years later, she told her mom she had done everything on the list. Her mom cried and said: whatever you want. Laura was scared, because she was not sure.
Ron and Laura dig into the piñata at the heart of her coaching: what feels like falling apart may be the opening to something bigger. They get candid about leaders who believe they serve people by burning themselves out, including an executive strategy session Laura showed up to with the flu, and Ron opens up about learning to forgive leaders who caused harm while burnt out themselves.
Tune in to hear why Laura believes another word for uncertainty is possibility.
Chapters:
🏆 05:47 Laura Saldivar Luna's first-grade math trophy and forty years of chasing achievement
🚪 07:57 Every box checked, then her mom's answer: whatever you want
🪅 15:45 Piñata Possible: when falling apart is really breaking open
🧭 33:06 Your body as a compass: a clear yes and a clear no
🏫 39:23 Declaring a five-year dream to launch Teach For America San Antonio
🤝 42:53 Relationship acumen: the leadership strength most workplace rubrics miss
⏸️ 52:42 Burning out is not serving: slow down to go faster
🕊️ 57:01 Forgiveness for leaders who caused harm while burnt out themselves
🌬️ 01:11:45 Laura's Rondering: another word for uncertainty is possibility
If something in this conversation sparked your curiosity, Laura would love to meet you one on one. Book a virtual tea with her via the Calendly link here.
Episode 114
