7 Years Too Long: Breaking the Silence on Women's Health in Leadership

Stacie Baird here. For this episode of the HX Podcast, I'm taking a bit of a departure to share something deeply personal because March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. Did you know it takes an average of seven years for a woman to get a correct diagnosis for endometriosis? I'm opening up about my own 18-year battle with this "invisible" disease—from the devastating pain that started when I was 12 to the 10 surgeries I've navigated since. We're diving into the staggering data, like the fact that endo research receives only $2 per patient per year in federal funding, and the scientific links between chronic inflammation, "endo brain," and conditions like ADHD.

But this isn't just a health talk; it's a leadership talk. We're connecting the dots between women's health and organizational change management. Many of the "invisible labor carriers" holding your teams together during restructures are the same women managing chronic, silent health conditions. I'm challenging leaders to recognize that your best change management strategy is actually a health strategy. If you've ever felt like you had to "perform normal" while carrying an impossible load, or if you lead someone who might be, this episode is for you. Let's stop treating human challenges as "soft issues" and start looking at the real biological and business costs of invisible pain.

Stacie

For more episodes, visit StacieBaird.com.