Courageous Leadership is for Everyone
More than ever, people want to learn from someone who embodies their teachings, beliefs, and values, and Dr. Chrissy Chard knows how to do just that.
She is a presence people want to be part of, whether it’s on podcasts, on stages, or in one-on-one conversations.
“I am already able to say that I am a better leader today than I was yesterday, and this is entirely to your credit as facilitators, teachers, story-tellers, administrators, organizers, coaches, and mentors (and expert rope wranglers I now know!). These are not easy times to be a leader, and that raises the degree of difficulty in your own work to equip them to meet the leadership challenges they will face. The way you do this with such whole-heartedness generates the kind of gratitude that is etched into the hearts of every person who benefits from a program or event.
Thank you for everything you do and thank you for bringing so much of who you are to this important work.”
Meet Dr. Chrissy Chard
Dr. Chrissy Chard (she/they) is one of today’s most courageous leaders who believes in the importance of being grounded in the values of courage, connection, and love.
She is the founder of Courageous Parents, a Colorado-based parent coaching practice where she works closely with clients on what parenting and reparenting look like and explores with them what it means to be self-led. She seamlessly carries these teachings over to her leadership work, building on the idea of being self-led, and talks about how courageous leadership is a practice that is rooted in self-awareness, courage, and active and attuned listening. She knows how to encourage both the parents and leaders she works with to boldly embrace all of who they are.
As a coach, facilitator, speaker, and consultant, Chrissy understands how to support people in showing up as the kind of leaders they wish to be, both in their personal and professional settings, as they explore what’s working and what they want to improve upon.
Chrissy is known to wear many hats, and so you can also find her directing an Advanced Leadership Training Program, which supports public health and environmental health leaders in developing heart-centered leadership skills.
She is also the co-founder of Smart Fit Girls, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of adolescent girls. Out of all of her roles, Chrissy will tell you that the most important one is being a parent to her three children. She sees parenting as a frontline for creating social change and engaging in social justice work in today’s world, and she infuses these beliefs into her work and her teachings.
Chrissy has spoken on podcasts and on stages about values-based frameworks and social-justice-based approaches, and she continues to find ways to support, guide, and teach about courageous leadership, always with a trauma-informed lens and a mindful perspective.
Popular Workshops Dr. Chrissy Has Led
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In this session, participants explore the transformative power of heart-centered leadership. Wholehearted leadership emphasizes compassion, integrity, and a deep connection to oneself and others. By fostering self-awareness, aligning with our core values, and embodying presence, we can foster a supportive environment for those with whom we lead and serve. This session offers practical skills and insights to help participants integrate these principles into their professional and personal lives, enhancing their ability to lead with courage and compassion.
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In this workshop, participants explore how having awareness of their nervous system responses and others can create safe team environments that foster collaboration, innovation, and well-being. Leaders are even invited to practice self-awareness and try different sensory calming strategies alongside Dr. Chrissy. Together, participants gain insights into how the nervous system operates, how stress can affect leadership, and how practical strategies can help leaders remain calm and composed under pressure.
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In this workshop, Dr. Chrissy guides teams through a process of co-creating a set of group agreements to support how they want to work together and ensure people can show up and do their best work. Topics discussed in further detail include power and power dynamics, trauma awareness, and psychological safety. Leaders and their teams leave this workshop with a draft set of agreements that they can take and start immediately operationalizing.
Example Agreements for Creating SafER Team Environments:
We lead with generosity, both for ourselves and each other, honoring that we are in collaborative learning while on individual journeys.
We practice asking for what we need, honoring choice, consent, and pausing.
We honor confidentiality—“What’s shared here stays here.”
We commit to being inclusive in language and in action, including paying attention to the dynamics in the space (e.g., how much space we are taking up, different social identities, body language, etc.).
We are responsible for meeting ourselves where we’re at, applying what lands, and trusting the process we find ourselves in.
In this thought-provoking TEDx talk, Parenting and Leadership Coach, Dr. Chrissy Chard explores how and why punishments are counterproductive. She then offers a transformative and accessible alternative rooted in trust and connection, sharing how to teach discipline through responsiveness, reflection, and repair.
I deeply appreciate Dr. Chard’s ability to relate to different generations in both her style, approach, and workshop content. It is rare that I attend a learning experience with students with whom I work (usually ages 18-25) who share the same level of interest and appreciation for our collective learning. Our team time with Dr. Chard has served to open up new dialogues and awareness about our nervous systems and the impact it has on the students we serve (and each other). We reflect back on what we learned on an almost daily basis! Thank you, Chrissy, for bringing your strengths in inclusive teaching and facilitation to our campus and our team!
SHANNON E. MCCASLAND, MS ED.
DEAN OF STUDENTS | AIMS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Organizations Where Dr. Chrissy Has Spoken
Dr. Chrissy works with and speaks to organizations focused on social good, including:
Startups and Nonprofits
Social Work
Public Heath
Sustainability
Government
Educational institutions
Department Heads
Student Leaders
Student Affairs professionals
Corporate organizations
HR professionals
Chief People Officers (CPOs)
Chief Learning Officers (CLOs)
Learning and Development teams
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)