Dr. Rosie Ward knows what it feels like to lose yourself at work. Fresh out of her master's degree, she walked into what seemed like a promising job only to watch her identity dissolve within months. The overachiever who took pride in her work suddenly found herself watching the clock, her health declining, her friends asking what was wrong.
"Someone swallowed me and I wasn't me," she recalls of that first toxic workplace experience. Within four months, she had gained 15 pounds, was getting sick constantly, and had adopted the very behaviors she once looked down on. "My friends said to me, 'Rosie, what is wrong with you? You don't seem like you.'"
That moment of recognition became the spark for what would eventually become her life's work. Today, as the founder and CEO of Salveo Partners, Dr. Ward has spent over 25 years developing solutions to ensure no one else has to endure what she experienced. Her company was awarded the 2023 Stellar Business Award for best business consulting in the United States, and her approach to "rehumanizing" workplaces has helped hundreds of organizations transform their cultures.
The Making of a Culture Revolutionary
Dr. Ward's path wasn't linear. After that first crushing workplace experience, she returned to school to pursue a PhD in organization and management, determined to understand workplace culture through a different lens. But life had another lesson in store. Years later, working at a consulting firm she had specifically chosen for its vibrant culture and entrepreneurial spirit, she watched everything change when the company was sold to a larger firm.
"What brought me there in the first place was that their culture was great, and they had won all these awards," she explains. "Challenging the status quo was a good thing when I joined them. But a few years later they wanted to put me in a box, which is not good."
The culture shift was swift and brutal. Everything that had once made her valuable suddenly became a liability. Speaking up and sticking out went from being assets to problems. Dr. Ward found herself on a performance improvement plan for the first time in her life, ironically for bringing in too much revenue for her consulting services – which were tangential to the core business.
"I was like, you're mad at me for bringing you in too much 'Rosie-related' money because your salespeople can't close the deal for your core business," she remembers with a laugh that doesn't hide the frustration she felt then.
The experience was particularly painful because she was now a mother with a child facing health challenges. The ripple effects of workplace toxicity weren't just affecting her anymore. "I just thought, when he gets into the workforce, God, this should not be the norm. We should not have movies like Horrible Bosses one and two. We should not have TV shows like The Office because they're not funny, because no one can relate."
Building Salveo Partners
Dr. Ward originally launched Salveo Partners in 2006 as a side hustle and set it aside while she went to work for the consulting firm. Then she resurrected it in 2013 with two other business partners while navigating a non-compete clause from her previous role. She eventually relaunched in its current form in 2015. Salveo means "to be well" in Latin, fitting for a company focused on rehumanizing workplaces. What began as a response to unhealthy work cultures has grown into a company known for helping organizations become more human, future-ready and more effective.
Through research on hundreds of leaders, Dr. Ward identified seven "faulty programs" that sabotage us: subconscious patterns formed in childhood that drive 95 percent of our decisions. As an example, the Martyr struggles with boundaries, does everything themselves, and puts everyone else first. The People Pleaser avoids difficult conversations and situations to prevent rejection. The Control Freak hates uncertainty so tries to control processes, conversations, and others, thinking they can somehow prevent bad things from happening. A key part of her work is supporting leaders to upgrade these faulty programs. The upgrade process takes six to eight months because real transformation needs time.
Now in its tenth year, Salveo focuses on three key areas: transforming culture, developing future-ready leaders, and providing meaningful facilitation. The company works with organizations of all sizes, from short-term retreats to multi-year partnerships. Whether coaching CEOs or supporting frontline managers, the focus remains the same: aligning purpose, values, and behaviors so that work becomes a space where people can thrive without losing themselves.
The Science Behind Courage
Dr. Ward's approach draws from her multiple coaching certifications as well as her training as a Certified Dare to Lead Facilitator under Dr. Brené Brown, whose research shows the future demands braver leaders and courageous cultures.
"Vulnerability is leaning into uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure," Dr. Ward explains. This means staying present in difficult conversations instead of becoming defensive. It means admitting when you don't know something rather than pretending to be the smartest person in the room. It’s asking for – and accepting – help.
Her insights become crucial during organizational change. She distinguishes between technical changes (that have known solutions and simply require information) and adaptive changes (where there is no known solution and require transformation and leaning into discomfort). Since COVID, most changes people face are predominantly adaptive, triggering those faulty programs. "The biggest failure of leadership is treating adaptive challenges like technical problems, because we want an easy button," she explains.
Amplifying the Message
Dr. Ward shares her insights through multiple channels. Her books "How to Build a Thriving Culture at Work" and "Rehumanizing the Workplace" (which won a Reader's Favorite award) provide blueprints for transformation. Her third book, "Future-Proofing Leadership," is set to be released in spring 2026.
Her podcast "Show Up as a Leader" has reached over 170,000 people in 50+ countries and won the Best People-First Podcast Award. Each episode reinforces her core message: everyone can lead, regardless of title. Guests share their self-limiting stories, proving even successful people struggle with faulty programming. "It's affirming that it's not just you," she reflects. "They do it too."
This message resonates particularly with women stepping into leadership roles. Dr. Ward believes clarity is crucial for success. "You need to be crystal clear on your values and purpose," Dr. Ward explains. "That becomes your lighthouse. It guides what you say yes to and what you say no to."
She encourages women to stop chasing everything and instead find alignment. "Hope is not a business strategy. Clarity is. And that starts with self-leadership."
Dr. Ward also believes that struggling makes you more relatable, not less qualified. "Every bump, squiggle, detour of the journey has shaped where I am and who I am," she reflects. "Even the icky stuff we go through, we learn and grow from it. Scars and all, there's no one else. Everyone else is taken. So, you might as well be you."
As Dr. Ward continues her work helping organizations become more human and equipping leaders to be future-ready and better navigate change, her message remains clear: nothing can replace human relationship-building and interpersonal skills.
"AI can do a lot. But it can't replace the need for real human connection, compassion, and courage. Those skills matter now more than ever." The future belongs to those brave enough to show up as their authentic selves and help others do the same.
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