Session 2 – The Tragic Gap

This is the second of three 90-minute themed sessions supporting senior leaders, with a focus on reflection, resilience and discernment through the Thinking Environment. Designed for those navigating change in complex roles.  The series began with Loving the NHS (without adoring it), and continues with this session, The Tragic Gap, followed by Session 3: Navigating Change and Uncertainty.

About the session:

Based on the work of Parker J. Palmer, the Tragic Gap describes the space between the way things are and the way we know they could be. For many NHS leaders, holding this gap is part of daily life: we long for equity, compassion and systemic change, while grappling with resource constraints, bureaucracy and moral injury.
This session offers a compassionate and practical lens to help leaders stay grounded in that tension. Using the Thinking Environment®, we’ll reflect on how to maintain moral courage without collapsing into cynicism or retreating into wishful thinking. It’s a powerful space for those who care deeply and need a place to breathe.

Objectives:

• To introduce the Tragic Gap as a leadership stance amidst systemic tension and change.
• To support participants in navigating disillusionment, fatigue, or idealism.
• To foster resilience by framing leadership as a practice of staying present in complexity.

Outcomes:

• Participants will develop a deeper understanding of the psychological demands of leading through uncertainty.
• They will explore how to avoid common traps of cynicism or false optimism.
• They will leave with a framework to support long-term engagement without burnout.

Who’s the session for?

These sessions are for Senior Health Leaders working across the South East who play a pivotal role within the region’s Integrated Care Systems (ICSs). This includes leaders working at provider level, General Practice, within an Integrated Care Board (ICB), across Community sector or as part of a partner organisation. 

Book your Place:

Bookings have now closed, if you would like to attend please email [email protected].

Please book your place via the green RSVP ‘Going’ button below. Places are available on a first come, first serve basis.  Although we will be able to see your name and email address upon submission, once extrapolated the demographic and protected characteristics data will be anonymised. We appreciate your support in providing this information, which will help us to ensure our leadership development interventions are widely accessible and inclusive.

The session will be delivered virtually.  Please ensure that you can access a confidential quiet space for the duration of the session. The joining instructions, including the meeting room link, will be sent one week prior to the session. If your circumstances change and you can no longer attend, please email [email protected].

Our Commitment: 

We are committed to making our training as accessible as possible (please see our accessibility page), we are aware that there is more that we can be doing. Please do contact us if there are any reasonable adjustments that we can make to support you to be able to attend this programme by emailing us at [email protected].

About the Facilitator

Mitzi Wyman is a leadership consultant, former lawyer and NHS Faculty member with a background in organisational psychology. She’s on the global Faculty of Time to Think and is completing her certification in the Courage & Renewal® approach developed by Parker J. Palmer. Mitzi leads NHS programmes across London and the Southeast, and offers open courses in the Thinking Environment® and reflective leadership practice.