292: The Emotional Demands of Leadership in Today’s Workplaces with Dina Denham Smith
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292: The Emotional Demands of Leadership in Today’s Workplaces with Dina Denham Smith
Leadership practices today look very different from what they did even a decade ago. Expectations have shifted. Employees are bringing more of their whole selves to work, conversations about well being and mental health are more common, and leaders are often expected to address emotionally complex situations that were rarely discussed in the workplace.
In this episode of Work from the Inside Out, I spoke with executive coach and strategic advisor Dina Denham Smith about what leaders are facing in this new environment. Dina has spent her career at the intersection of psychology and business, helping leaders and organizations understand the human side of work. Our conversation explores how leadership roles have evolved and why the emotional demands on leaders have grown significantly in recent years.
Dina’s path to this work is fascinating. She grew up on the campus of a boys’ boarding school where her parents taught, often sitting at dinner tables with groups of teenage boys and learning quickly that the only way to get heard was to speak up. That early experience helped her develop confidence and comfort in environments where she might be the only woman in the room. Later, her studies in psychology and business gave her the tools to explore what makes people thrive at work.
After years in consulting, corporate leadership, and private equity, Dina eventually launched her own executive coaching practice. Along the way, she also became a prolific writer, publishing dozens of articles in outlets such as Harvard Business Review. Her latest work focuses on what she calls the emotional labor of leadership and how leaders can manage the growing emotional expectations placed on them.
One of the most powerful takeaways from our conversation is Dina’s advice for people who are thinking about what comes next in their careers. Rather than spending endless time analyzing options, she encourages people to experiment. Try things. Have conversations. Gather real world feedback. Action, she reminds us, often teaches us far more than thinking alone.
In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn more about:
How Dina’s unconventional childhood shaped her confidence and communication style
Why early work experiences influenced her interest in workplace psychology
The path from studying psychology to earning an MBA and entering consulting
What she learned working in organizational strategy and corporate transformation
The transition from corporate leadership roles into executive coaching
Why writing became an important part of her professional work
The concept of emotional labor and how it applies to leadership
Why leaders today face higher emotional demands than in the past
How leaders can navigate emotionally charged conversations with their teams
Practical ways to explore career changes through experimentation rather than overthinking
Learn more about Dina:
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About Tammy, host of
Work from the Inside Out
Before launching my coaching practice, I worked in mental health, higher education, public policy, and fundraising. Those experiences showed me how deeply our work shapes our sense of purpose—and now I help clients navigate change and growth so they can feel more fulfilled and aligned in what they do