NASA: Science + Humanness
I’ve always loved movies that feature heroic NASA engineers and scientists at their heart. Some that come to mind are the box-office hits The Martian, Apollo 13, and Hidden Figures, and the documentary Good Night Oppy.
I may be biased. After all, I began my career at the NASA Ames Research Center, researching aircraft accidents to develop models of the atmosphere, and exploring the stability of complex control systems. I worked alongside colleagues who started the work that we now take for granted, such as today’s air traffic control system and civilian uses for GPS. I shared in our collective grief when astronauts on Challenger and Columbia lost their lives.
But I think this love for such movies is widespread.
I believe what inspires such feelings is not mainly the awe-inspiring and scarcely-believable accomplishments, but rather seeing how they accomplish such things. We see brilliant people work with dedication and as a team towards a common purpose. We often see them struggle with human frailties — egos, fears of failing, frustration at not being listened to — and yet they are able to come back to the reality that they will only succeed if they do it together.
At their best, the people who work at NASA rely not only on their brilliance as scientists and engineers, but also on their fundamental humanness. They know they belong in a team. Their camaraderie is fundamental to their success.
These thoughts of NASA sprung to my mind as I thought about how to introduce a new speaker series.
Work Rehumanized
Work Rehumanized: Timeless Tools and Truths for Leaders is a free weekly speaker series for leaders who carry a heavy load — mentally, emotionally, and organizationally. There are five sessions, each featuring a different powerful voice. These will take place every Thursday in May 2025, via Zoom, at 2:30–3:30 pm EDT.
I’m the fifth speaker. The other four — Dr. Carylynn Larson, Dr. Anthony Randall, Jennifer Eisenreich, and Nell 3D (Derick Debevoise Dewey) — are my friends. We’ve gotten to know each other over the past year, as we have all poured a ton of energy and passion into bringing our ideas to the world.
This is how we describe the series:
If you are a leader, you know. You know the highs and the lows, the exhilaration and the exhaustion. Quiet quitting isn’t the answer. Neither is lowering your expectations. But where do you turn for real inspiration—something honest, useful, and energizing?
The Work Rehumanized experience is a time to stop, reflect, re-energize, and reignite the fire that brought you to leadership in the first place. Even under the weight, there can be joy when you can see YOUR world in a new light.
Each session features an inspiring and provocative talk from a purpose-driven speaker who gets it. You’ll hear real stories, fresh tools, and provocative ideas that challenge how we think about leadership, and ourselves. There’s nothing to prepare, nothing to buy. Show up to be reminded: You’re not alone in this. And maybe—just maybe—the insight that shifts everything is waiting for you in the next session.
Please join us. Register here.
Photo: NASA scientists and engineers work on a Mars rover in “Good Night Oppy”, from Amazon Prime Video.
