Episode 27: Leadership, Power, & Positive Impact with Denise Manderson & Virginia Hervey
In this episode of The Leaderful Podcast, we’re joined by Virginia Hervey and Denise Manderson, longtime leaders at Hull Services, for a grounded conversation about trauma-informed leadership, sector capacity, and leading in complex human systems.
Virginia and Denise share Hull’s evolution from a primarily campus-based care model to a broad continuum focused on early intervention, prevention, and building resilience within families, communities, and systems. Rather than positioning Hull as the answer to every challenge, they articulate a clear commitment to building capacity across the sector, so fewer families require intensive interventions.
The conversation also explores Hull’s leadership and culture work with The Ally Co., which began as a search for leadership training and quickly became something deeper. They reflect on the importance of slowing down, co-creating leadership development that truly fits the organization, and having honest conversations about power, intention, and impact. Shared language, reflective practice, and relationship-centred leadership emerge as critical levers for culture change.
Zooming out, the episode tackles persistent nonprofit sector challenges - burnout, retention, system overload, and competing demands - and offers a hopeful, practical case for more intentional, collaborative, and power-conscious leadership.
This episode is a must-listen for leaders working in trauma-exposed, mission-driven environments who want their leadership to reflect the care, dignity, and outcomes they’re striving to create.
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In this episode of The Leaderful Podcast, we’re joined by Virginia Hervey and Denise Manderson, longtime leaders at Hull Services, for a grounded conversation about trauma-informed leadership, sector capacity, and leading in complex human systems.
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