Humanity Works Better: Five Practices to Lead with Awareness, Choice and the Courage to Change

Get the best—not just the most—out of your teams.

Our modern workforce is suffering. For too long, organizations and leaders have sought success through a focus on efficiency and productivity, and it’s costing us dearly. Workplace bullying and abuse has reached epidemic levels—along with high rates of burnout, staff turnover, and mental illness. Clearly, something needs to change.

In Humanity Works Better, leadership experts Debbie Cohen and Kate Roeske-Zummer chart a new path forward: one that brings humanity, awareness, choice, and courage to the workplace. The result? A happier work environment that draws the best—rather than squeezes the most—out of people.

Through the same tools and practices they’ve used to transform teams at organizations like Adobe, DocuSign, Saba, Pinterest, the authors guide you through a framework that converts company culture from toxic to healthy, from competitive to collaborative, from fearful to trusting, one human at a time. You’ll address your own internal roadblocks to become a better person, and a better leader. And you’ll master the skills and complexities to navigate the complex relationships that make us human.

As you undertake this personal journey, you’ll become aware of who you want to be and how to live the whole of your life, inside and outside the workplace. You’ll emerge more confident, more effective, and more human, with the skills to lead a purpose-driven workforce that is energized, engaged, and driven to succeed. That’s not just good leadership; it’s good business.

Debbie Cohen believes that systemic change cannot happen without individual change, and that individual change requires a responsive environment to nurture the effort. This both/and approach to management is at the core of her leadership development style. If there’s an elephant in the room, you can count on Debbie to put it squarely in the middle of the table, with warmth and humor, so that everyone can take part in the conversation. She then facilitates change at the point of greatest need and least resistance, honoring the capacity for change in individuals and organizations. As additional need is demonstrated, more support is offered. Transformation happens in phases based on the readiness to learn, assimilate and grow.

Debbie has held executive Human Resource positions for First Look, the Mozilla Corporation, Razorfish and Time Warner. Prior to Time Warner, Debbie was the Senior Strategist for Bright Horizons Family Solutions, where she was known as a leader in human-capital management, dependent care and work/life balance. Debbie is committed to balancing the needs and interests of individuals with those of the broader organization to unleash the power of possibility in the midst of complexity

Kate Roeske-Zummer believes that transformation is possible for everyone. She helps clients identify their unique opportunities—and what may be standing in the way—so that they can become the leaders they were meant to be. Kate believes that reactive management styles are ineffective and that vulnerability-based leadership creates stronger relationships, more authentic connections and better results. Through online 360s, Kate dives deep with clients. Her skill-based approach helps leaders cultivate the communication skills and values that drive success across the organization.

Since 2003, Kate has worked with both corporate and nonprofit clients, including Mozilla, Pinterest, Adobe, DaVita, CBS Interactive, United Way of America, RW Baird, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy and Mather and The Colorado Education Initiative. Her work has been focused on being a part of a deep cultural shift in organizations, where she has helped leaders examine their values, accountability and what it means to be a contributing member of the organization. This has resulted in big shifts—within the organizations themselves, as well as within their shared language, leadership development and understanding of what it means to be a leader.

Kate began her career at Ogilvy & Mather where she eventually rose in the ranks to become Strategic Planner, Senior Director. Her primary focus was on strategic development for such Fortune 500 companies as Ponds, Dove, United Way and Kodak. Kate also served on the faculty of the Coaches Training Institute for nearly eight years where she delivered training throughout North America, Canada, England and South Africa.