The Everyday Grief Podcast

Leadership After Layoffs: Grief, Guilt & Finding Your Way Forward

Dr. Anitra Manning Season 1 Episode 2

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You knew leadership would be challenging—but no one prepared you for this. Letting people go. Watching jobs disappear. Delivering news that changes lives. Carrying the weight of decisions that feel necessary, yet deeply personal.

If you’ve ever had to lead through layoffs, you know this isn’t just a business decision. It’s a human one. And it leaves its mark.

In this episode of Everyday Grief, Dr. Anitra invites you into a different kind of leadership conversation—one that acknowledges the grief, the guilt, and the deep responsibility that comes with layoffs. Through the unexpected wisdom of Gideon’s story, we explore:

  • Why layoffs feel personal—even when they’re strategic.
  • The hidden grief of leadership and how it shapes your decision-making.
  • Moral injury—when doing the “right thing” still feels wrong.
  • How to move from guilt and shame to moral clarity.
  • A simple but powerful breathing practice to release what is not yours to carry.
  • How to lead layoffs with dignity, compassion, and integrity.

This episode isn’t about corporate best practices—it’s about how to hold onto your humanity while making impossible choices. Because leadership isn’t just about strategy—it’s about how you carry it.

If you’ve ever walked away from a difficult decision and thought, "Did I do that right?"—this episode is for you.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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If this episode spoke to you, please:

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Thank you for being here. Take a breath. You are not alone in this.

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