About Trace Hobson

 I help healthcare leaders transform toxic teams into thriving, high-performing teams where staff choose to stay, teams excel, and leaders reclaim their impact and peace of mind—without carrying the constant weight of guilt, fear, and overwhelm.

From Overwhelmed Leader to System Transformation

For 25 years, I walked the leadership path you may know too. From team leader to operations executive, I lived in:

• Union constraints that bind your hands.
• Complex employee problems are everywhere.
• Operational targets increase while resources disappear.
• Never-ending ministry requirements that don't make sense.
• Constant change mandates and flavours of the month from above.

Along with a sense of constant urgency and waiting for the next problem or challenge to need my attention. You know this story because you're probably living in it right now.

On paper, everything looked perfect: Rising career. Hit metrics. "Successful."

But underneath? That success was breaking down everything that mattered—like my values and sense of purpose.

I kept telling myself: "Once we get through this project, this quarter, this year—things will be different."

That day never came. Can you relate?

Then the fractures started showing. Despite following every procedure, checking every box, working endless hours, the same problems kept repeating:

• Fighting rising absenteeism while already short-staffed.
• Watching your best people burn out and walk away.
• Dealing with toxic behaviour you can't seem to fix.
• Investing thousands in training to lose people.
• Feeling powerless to create real change.

The Moment Everything Changed

I was juggling 80-hour workweeks while being a single dad to three teenage daughters. Every leadership strategy I'd trusted was not working anymore at work or home. My daughters were going through massive storms at home, and my team was drowning in toxic stress at work.

And there I was, caught between worlds, carrying a truth I couldn't admit: My relentless drive to fix everything stemmed from bone-deep fear. Fear that I couldn't actually change what needed changing. Every recurring problem, every team member who left, every family event I missed—they all whispered the same message: Maybe I wasn't enough.

Sound familiar?

The System's Wake-Up Call

In 2008, during a vulnerable conversation about my struggles, a friend mentioned a course in Systemic Transformation. Though designed for clinical specialists, something pulled me to enroll—perhaps the same instinct telling you right now that there has to be a different way.

What I discovered transformed everything:

My constant reactiveness, my anxiety, my drive to control outcomes—these weren't leadership failures. They were system messages trying to show me a better way. The same patterns driving people away could become forces for connection when understood and transformed.

Because when people feel truly safe, something profound happens:

• Trust emerges naturally
• Teams shift from surviving to thriving
• Change flows instead of creating resistance
• Those "impossible" problems that keep you awake? They start shifting naturally.

The Journey to Systemic Leadership

Over the next years, I dove deep into understanding how to transform systemic patterns that keep teams stuck. Not through quick fixes or surface solutions but through fundamental change:

• Became a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) specializing in psychological health and safety
• Mastered systemic intelligence and trauma-informed practices
• Integrated these insights into executive leadership
• Developed Safe Space Systemic Coaching

By 2016, I knew it was time to share this work more widely. I left the corporate world to help leaders like you transform system challenges into breakthrough opportunities.

Why This Matters for You

Today, I help healthcare leaders decode the hidden patterns that keep their teams stuck in survival mode. Because here's what I know: That guilt you carry about your team's suffering? That fear that you're somehow failing them? These aren't signs of weakness—they're your system's most powerful messages waiting to be transformed.

When you learn to read these signals instead of fighting them:

• Staff don't just stay—they lead from purpose
• Teams transform from toxic to truly supportive
• You make the impact you've always known was possible
• Your leadership naturally extends beyond work into every area of life
• Most importantly? You stop carrying the weight of everyone's well-being alone

Ready to Transform Your Healthcare Reality?

I know you've tried everything—the leadership programs, the team building, the consultants who don't understand healthcare's unique pressures. This is different. This isn't about adding more to your plate or learning another framework that doesn't stick.

Your team's future shouldn't depend on your ability to keep pushing through exhaustion. Together, we'll create an environment where:

• Your people choose to stay because they feel seen and supported
• Your teams thrive because they finally feel safe to trust
• You lead with the impact you've always envisioned
• Stop carrying guilt or fear that you're not enough

Let's decode your system's signals and transform them into your most powerful breakthroughs—because you and your team deserve more than just surviving another day.

👉 Book Your Decoder Session Now

01 Reading System Signals 

Transform healthcare chaos into strategic insight by mastering the art of decoding system patterns. Research shows that disconnected teams directly impact patient care quality (Rosen et al., 2018; West & Dawson, 2012; Brown, 2019). Learn to identify early warning signals, preventing the breakdown of teamwork and trust (Edmondson & Lei, 2014). Move from reactive firefighting to proactive leadership, creating stability across your clinical teams. Perfect for healthcare leaders ready to shift from constant crisis to consistent excellence.

02 Building Psychological Safety

Create high-performing environments where clinical excellence naturally emerges. Research demonstrates that disrespectful behaviours directly impact patient care and safety (Leape et al., 2012; Edmondson, 2004). Build trust-based cultures that reduce errors, enhance communication, and improve outcomes (Brown, 2012; Porath, 2017). Transform your units from spaces of survival to environments of innovation. Designed for healthcare leaders seeking to build resilient teams across multiple areas.

03 Regulating Stress Responses 

Master the neuroscience of leadership in high-stakes healthcare environments. Research confirms chronic stress undermines neurobiological resilience and decision-making (McEwen, 2017; Siegel, 2012). Learn evidence-based techniques to regulate during critical incidents. Transform personal overwhelm into sustainable clinical leadership. Essential for healthcare leaders managing critical care areas or high-stress environments (Porges, 2021).

04 Transforming Team Dynamics

Convert dysfunctional healthcare teams into high-performing care units. Research shows that poor team dynamics directly increase errors and reduce patient safety (Manser, 2009; Salas et al., 2005). Using proven frameworks, shift from toxic interactions to collaborative care delivery (Brown, 2018). Transform siloed departments into synchronized teams. Vital for healthcare leaders seeking to unify fragmented teams.

05 Retaining Top Talent

Develop systematic approaches to retain your highest-performing professionals. Research confirms that turnover creates significant operational burdens, reducing morale and efficiency (Duffield et al., 2011; Buchan & Catton, 2023). Transform your units from revolving doors to stable, sought-after workplaces. Create environments where top performers choose to stay (Edmondson, 2002). Essential for healthcare leaders managing persistent staffing challenges.

06 Leadership Presence & Impact 

Elevate your leadership from crisis manager to strategic system catalyst. Research demonstrates that dysregulation affects both team dynamics and patient care (Melamed et al., 2006; Porges, 2017). Master evidence-based approaches to enhance your presence across multiple areas (Scharmer, 2018). Transform from overwhelmed supervisor to influential leader while maintaining personal wellbeing (Brown, 2018). Designed for healthcare leaders ready to expand their influence beyond immediate units.

References

Each topic is grounded in peer-reviewed research while maintaining focus on practical transformation for healthcare leaders. From crisis to clarity, from burnout to breakthrough—we help you decode your system's messages and create sustainable change.

Brown, B. (2012). Daring greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. Gotham.

Brown, B. (2018). Dare to lead: Brave work. Tough conversations. Whole hearts. Random House.

Brown, B. (2019). Braving the wilderness: The quest for true belonging and the courage to stand alone. Random House.

Buchan, J., & Catton, H. (2023, March). Recover to rebuild: Investing in the nursing workforce for health system effectiveness. International Council of Nurses.
https://www.icn.ch/sites/default/files/2023-07/ICN_Recover-to-Rebuild_report_EN.pdf

Duffield, C. M., Roche, M. A., Blay, N., & Stasa, H. (2011). Nursing unit managers, staff retention and the work environment. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20(1–2), 23–33. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03478.x

Edmondson, A. C. (2002). Managing the risk of learning: Psychological safety in work teams. In M. West, D. Tjosvold, & K. G. Smith (Eds.), International handbook of organizational teamwork and cooperative working (pp. 255–276). Wiley.

Edmondson, A. C. (2004). Psychological safety, trust, and learning in organizations: A group-level lens. In R. M. Kramer & K. S. Cook (Eds.), Trust and distrust in organizations (pp. 239–272). Russell Sage Foundation.

Edmondson, A. C., & Lei, Z. (2014). Psychological safety: The history, renaissance, and future of an interpersonal construct. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1(1), 23–43. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091305

Leape, L. L., Shore, M. F., Dienstag, J. L., Mayer, R. J., Edgman-Levitan, S., Meyer, G. S., & Healy, G. B. (2012). A culture of respect, part 1: The nature and causes of disrespectful behavior by physicians. Academic Medicine, 87(7), 845–852. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e318258338d

Manser, T. (2009). Teamwork and patient safety in dynamic domains of healthcare: A review of the literature. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 53(2), 143–151. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-6576.2008.01717.x

McEwen, B. S. (2017). Neurobiological and systemic effects of chronic stress. Chronic Stress, 1(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2470547017692328

Melamed, S., Shirom, A., Toker, S., Berliner, S., & Shapira, I. (2006). Burnout and risk of cardiovascular disease: Evidence, possible causal paths, and promising research directions. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 327–353. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.3.327

Porath, C. (2017). Mastering civility: A manifesto for the workplace. Grand Central Publishing.

Porges, S. W. (2017). The pocket guide to the polyvagal theory: The transformative power of feeling safe. W. W. Norton & Company.

Porges, S. W. (2021). Polyvagal safety: Attachment, communication, self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.

Rosen, M. A., DiazGranados, D., Dietz, A. S., Benishek, L. E., Thompson, D., Pronovost, P. J., & Weaver, S. J. (2018). Teamwork in healthcare: Key discoveries enabling safer, high-quality care. American Psychologist, 73(4), 433–450. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000298

Salas, E., Sims, D. E., & Burke, C. S. (2005). Is there a “Big Five” in teamwork? Small Group Research, 36(5), 555–599. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496405277134

Scharmer, C. O. (2018). The essentials of Theory U: Core principles and applications. Berrett-Koehler.

Siegel, D. J. (2012). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.

West, M. A., & Dawson, J. F. (2012). Employee engagement and NHS performance. The King’s Fund. https://www.kingsfund.org.uk