Your Ambition: Biggest Asset or Biggest Liability?

Episode 7 (Aug 5, 2025)

In this conversation, Shelly Rood shares her personal experience of witnessing her newborn son struggle for breath in a hospital during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. This traumatic event leads her to explore the concept of moral injury, a psychological wound that occurs when one's moral beliefs are violated. She discusses how ambition can become a liability when it leads to ethical compromises and emphasizes the importance of aligning ambition with personal values to prevent moral injury. Rood provides insights into the development and healing of moral injury, offering practical steps for individuals to recognize and address their moral discomfort.

Takeaways

Shelly Rood recounts a traumatic experience in the hospital with her newborn son.

Moral injury occurs when actions violate deeply held moral beliefs.

Ambition can lead to ethical compromises if not aligned with personal values.

Moral injury is distinct from PTSD and burnout.

Chronic moral injury can accumulate from small compromises over time.

Understanding the 'why' behind decisions is crucial for healing moral injury.

Moral discomfort serves as a warning signal for ethical conflicts.

Leaders often face moral dilemmas that can lead to moral injury.

Maintaining values is essential for sustainable high performance.

Recognizing and addressing moral injury can improve personal and professional well-being.

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Figure 1 Source: Barnes, Haleigh A., Robin A. Hurley, and Katherine H. Taber. Moral Injury and PTSD: Often Co-Occurring Yet Mechanistically Different. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, JNP, 31, no. 2 (April 2019): A4-103. doi:10.1176/appi.neuropsych.19020036.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

01:07 A Personal Story of Crisis

08:21 Understanding Moral Injury

09:42 The Science Behind Moral Injury

13:53 Real-Life Examples and Impacts

23:16 Healing and Ambition Alignment

28:41 Practical Steps and Conclusion

moral injury, ambition, healthcare, psychological science, ethical conflicts, personal values, leadership, emotional health, COVID-19, parenting

Mentioned in this episode:

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