Transforming Trauma: Amrita Subramanian on Growth After Crisis

Breakfast Leadership Show

Living Through the Aftershock: COVID-19’s Lasting Impact on Our Lives and Leadership

In this deep and wide-ranging conversation, Amrita Subramanian and Michael D. Levitt explore the profound and lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic—not just on health systems, but on our humanity, leadership, and everyday decisions.

Reckoning With Collective Trauma
The episode opens with a candid reflection on how society continues to carry the emotional residue of the pandemic. Amrita underscores the importance of acknowledging that crisis is not an interruption—it’s a constant. Michael builds on this by noting how many individuals still carry unprocessed trauma, often triggered by subtle reminders from the pandemic era. Leaders, he argues, must create space for that healing, not push people to simply “move on.”

Mortality, Reflection, and Missed Opportunities
Amrita shares that COVID-19 accelerated deeper societal trends and forced a confrontation with mortality. Michael adds that the pandemic was a moment when the world could have come together—yet instead, we saw fragmentation. Together, they challenge listeners to reflect on whether we’re growing from the crisis—or avoiding it.

Growth Through Adversity
Both hosts explore how some individuals used the pandemic as a springboard for transformation. Amrita calls these people "magnets"—those who attract possibility through growth and reflection. Michael discusses how our choices ripple outward, affecting teams, families, and communities, and urges leaders to lean into thoughtful, values-based decision-making.

Making Peace With Chaos
In a thought-provoking segment, Amrita reframes chaos—not as disorder, but as the natural state when clarity and consensus are missing. Michael and Amrita discuss the necessity of continuous learning and the paradox of a generation navigating both truth and noise. The takeaway? We’re standing at a crossroads that could lead to either a new renaissance—or a descent into disconnection.

Humility and Leadership in Uncertain Times
Amrita calls for a return to humility, especially in leadership. She advocates for an unlearning of rigid systems and encourages empathy-based decision-making. Michael echoes this, pointing to the dangers of ego in crisis and the importance of making choices grounded in service and self-awareness.

Decisions That Shape the Future
Michael shares strategies for making clear-headed decisions amid chaos—removing emotion from the process and using systems like checklists to stay aligned. Amrita offers a counterbalance: the role of curiosity and inner wisdom in guiding leaders toward choices that benefit the greater good. Together, they highlight the legacy we’re leaving for the next generation—a chance to lead with civility, courage, and care.

Living Fully, Leading Wisely
The episode closes with reflections on what it means to live a fulfilling life. Amrita encourages gentle self-examination, while Michael reminds us that leadership starts with personal responsibility—and a commitment to making choices that serve not just ourselves, but those around us.

Amrita is a former Fortune 500 VP who has devoted 22+ years of her career to helping organizations thrive amid crises. She is also a trailblazer in post-disruptive growth as a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania and a guest lecturer at Wharton. She has almost completed her Ph.D. on post-traumatic growth in adults through COVID-19. As the world faced the first collective trauma/crisis disruption in modern-day history, the COVID pandemic, Amrita launched a first-of-its-kind study to explore how pain leads to growth and analyze our ability to heal ourselves during an unparalleled crisis. Her work is dedicated to providing education and practical solutions for individuals and communities worldwide. Her lessons draw from the evidence-based practices of everyday people who have shown heartfelt humility and wisdom in the face of crisis and devastation. The research study has amassed global participation, and she is convinced that it will show the pandemic strengthened us and renewed our sense of identity, purpose, and community. Amrita knows well that there is growth from trauma based on what she's endured in her own life. At the age of five, she was abandoned in a convent. The trauma and abuse she endured throughout that time resulted in selective mutism until she was 11 years old, among other things. Amrita is now using her voice to help guide humanity and speak out about the many facets of pain and what good could come from them. On the podcast, she would love to talk about:

• What happens to the future and nature of work (employees, employers, departments, engagement, stress, fatigue, etc.) following the collective trauma we all walked through?
• What is the nature of post-disruptive/post-crisis leadership? Who do we need to be to lead ourselves to the next edge of growth and harmony, given crises are only now going to be constant (economic or ecological)?
• The pandemic is still largely under-processed, and folks do not seem to be making denial a choice. People seem to be hungry to process what they experienced. This article explains why we need to talk about and process pain and how pain can also lead to growth.

To get a sense of Amrita, here's an episode she did recently on The Trauma Therapist Podcast, where she talked about how her life has been shaped by continuous growth from trauma.