That Time I Chatted with Dr. Laura Gallaher

On this episode of Teeter Talks, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Laura Gallaher—an organizational psychologist, leadership coach, and speaker whose work with NASA and Disney has shaped how we understand culture and leadership today. We unpack the powerful connection between radical self-acceptance and effective leadership, exploring how leaders can only create psychological safety for others when they first cultivate it within themselves. Laura shares her own humbling leadership lessons, redefining authenticity, self-awareness, and the backstage work that influences how we lead on stage.

Join us as we dive into these topics:

• How a pivotal moment at NASA sparked Laura’s deep dive into radical self-acceptance.
• Why psychological safety begins with self-acceptance, not just knowledge or intention.
• Redefining authenticity as the alignment between intention and impact.
• The surprising struggle high achievers face when accepting their strengths, not just their flaws.
• How your self-acceptance sets the ceiling for your self-awareness and leadership effectiveness.
• A moving story about feedback, humility, and transforming how we show up for our teams.
• Practical tools for starting a self-acceptance practice, including Laura’s Self-Acceptance Quiz.
• The emotional impact of compliments and why leaders need to learn to receive them.

It was truly enlightening to chat with Dr. Laura Gallaher. Her take on leadership from the inside out is something every leader needs to hear. If you enjoyed this conversation, I’d love it if you could leave a rating and review—it means the world! Thanks for tuning in, and I can’t wait for you to hear the next episode of Teeter Talks!

Laura’s Links:
Self-Acceptance Quiz: selfacceptancequiz.com
Instagram @DrLauraGallaher

Marissa's Links:
• Marissa's Website
• Marissa's Instagram
• Teeter Talks Instagram
• Marissa's LinkedIn