Love as Practice: The Human Trait Behind Anti-Oppressive Leadership | Rooted2Thrive S08E74

<p><strong>Rooted2Thrive Podcast: Conversations That Elevate Our Humanity</strong></p><p><strong>Love as Practice: The Human Trait Behind Anti-Oppressive Leadership</strong></p><p>Season 7, Episode 74</p><p>Host: Rochelle Peterson-AnsariGuest: Jennifer Turnbull</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Overview:</strong></p><p>In this episode of the Rooted2Thrive Podcast, Rochelle Peterson-Ansari and Jennifer Turnbull explore love as an intentional practice and a powerful foundation for anti-oppressive leadership. Drawing from her experiences as an artist, educator, and Co-Executive Director of Spiral Q, Jennifer reflects on how love can shape the way leaders use power, build community, create art, care for their teams, and respond to harm. The conversation challenges the idea that love is simply about kindness or comfort, instead presenting it as a practice that can require courage, truth-telling, accountability, and repair. Jennifer also shares how creative expression can help people process grief, connect with one another, and make complex emotions visible, while emphasizing the importance of leaders caring for themselves and modeling sustainable practices for others. Ultimately, the episode invites listeners to bring their full humanity into leadership and consider how practicing love more courageously can create spaces where people feel valued, supported, and able to thrive.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Topics discussed:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Love as an Intentional Practice</strong>: Love goes beyond emotion and becomes a conscious practice reflected in how leaders listen, use their power, protect dignity, and care for themselves and others.</p></li><li><p><strong>Courage, Accountability, and Repair</strong>: Practicing love does not mean avoiding difficult conversations, but rather confronting harm, telling the truth, holding people accountable, and creating opportunities for repair.</p></li><li><p><strong>Creativity as a Tool for Connection</strong>: Art, movement, puppetry, and other forms of creative expression can bring people together, give shape to complex emotions, and help communities transform shared values into action.</p></li><li><p><strong>Bringing Humanity into Leadership</strong>: Leaders can create more supportive environments by allowing people to bring their full selves into the workplace and recognizing the humanity, emotions, and needs within their teams.</p></li><li><p><strong>Self-Care as a Leadership Practice</strong>: Leaders who make spac