Dr. Jonathan Grady is an influential leader, scholar, and equity strategist whose work centers transformative justice, radical imagination, and leading with love. As Senior Associate Vice President for Equity & Belonging at Cal Poly Pomona, he brings more than 17 years of experience driving systemic equity strategies, cultivating holistic workplace cultures, and building communities where people can recognize their inner strength, brilliance, and magic.

In this episode, Jonathan and I talk about what it means to lead with love inside systems that often strip away humanity, and how his framework, The Helper's Story, offers language for the cost of constant caregiving while also pointing us toward healing and sustainability. We talk about legacy, connection, and why true leadership requires vulnerability, accountability, and joy.

This conversation is for every leader who has ever given until emptyand is ready to believe that caring for themselves is not indulgence but resistance.

🎧 Available now on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

Key Takeaways

Love is not just a feeling, it is an action, a framework, and a leadership practice.
The Helper's Story invites us to begin within, make meaning, embody action, and embrace transformation.
True leadership creates healing spaces where mistakes become opportunities for learning.
Rest, joy, and boundaries are revolutionary acts for helpers and caretakers.

About Dr. Jonathan Grady Dr. Jonathan Grady is the Senior Associate Vice President for Equity & Belonging at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. A nationally recognized scholar, speaker, and administrator, his work challenges us to rethink how we show up for ourselves and others. Through his Helper's Story framework, he helps leaders and organizations cultivate cultures rooted in love, healing, and accountability.

🔗 Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn

About Dr. Debra Griffith Dr. Debra Griffith is an executive coach, consultant, and the voice behind the Do Better with Debra podcast. With a career rooted in education and equity-centered leadership, she now supports women of color leaders and executives navigating professional transitions and leading transformative change.

🌐 Learn more at Do Better Executive Coaching 🔗 Connect with Debra on LinkedIn