Creating Space for Authenticity with Tracey Boggs

In this episode of The Leadership Initiative, Tracey Boggs shares her leadership journey from finance to academia and how she fosters inclusive, psychologically safe workplace cultures. She discusses the power of vulnerability, values-driven leadership, and creating environments where teams feel supported, empowered, and inspired to grow. 

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Guest, Tracey Boggs: 

"There’s a lot of talk around psychological safety, and I think the bottom line is people want to feel safe. They want to feel like they can say something that may be a little off the wall, or a little crazy, or maybe not fully thought out—and that it won’t be held against them. And when you give people that space, they start to thrive. They start to bring their best ideas, and they feel more connected to the work and to the team. 

It doesn’t mean there are no boundaries, or that everything is okay—it just means people aren’t afraid to speak up. And that’s where innovation happens. That’s where real collaboration comes in."

Host, Jen Knox Shanahan: 

"That makes so much sense. I love what you said about people needing space to say something “a little off the wall”—because that’s often where the breakthroughs come from, right? But if the environment doesn’t feel safe, you never even get to hear those ideas."

Guest, Tracey Boggs: 

"Exactly. And when leaders model that it’s okay to try something that might not work—or to voice an idea that’s not fully formed—it gives others permission to do the same. That’s where creativity starts to thrive. You don’t get innovation without some level of risk-taking, and that’s only possible when people trust they won’t be penalized for it."

Tracey Boggs, MBA, is a Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness Consultant at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. She guides leaders through complex challenges with a focus on inclusion and belonging. Additionally, she leads career development programs designed to help ensure that the healthcare workforce reflects and respects the patients and communities it serves. Active within the Ohio State community, Tracey holds various advisory roles, including serving as the Chair of the University Staff Advisory Committee (USAC). She earned a B.S. in Business Administration from The Ohio State University, where she was a Morrill Scholar, and an MBA from Ohio Dominican University. Tracey and her husband William are passionate OSU alums and proud parents to three Buckeye girls!