In this episode of The Leadership Pause, Neil Jacobs and Dr. Taylere Markewich mark the podcast's one-year anniversary with a timely exploration of how physical space shapes leadership, culture, and performance. As organizations continue to navigate hybrid work, return-to-office pressures, and shifting employee expectations, the conversation invites leaders to consider the often-unseen ways the built environment communicates values, power, and belonging.

Joined by Rachel Casanova, Executive Managing Director of Total Workplace Consulting for the Northeast at Cushman & Wakefield, the discussion moves beyond aesthetics to examine workplace design as the "body language" of an organization. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience, Rachel shares insights on evidence-based design, the risks of aspirational spaces that outpace lived culture, and why congruence between leadership behavior and physical environment is essential for trust, engagement, and change.

Together, Neil, Taylere, and Rachel explore the successes and failures of open offices, hoteling, and hybrid models, as well as how space has become a critical lever in the competition for talent. The episode challenges leaders to pause and ask what their workplaces are truly signaling and whether their organizations are prepared to embody the culture those spaces promise.

Show Order

00:00 Introduction to Leadership Pause
00:49 Reflecting on a Year of Leadership Pause
01:06 Exploring Organizational Space and Design
01:49 Pauses of the Month
05:33 Impact of Office Design on Work Culture
14:26 Guest Introduction: Rachel Casanova
15:39 Rachel Casanova on Workplace Consulting
21:44 Design Principles and Cultural Fit
26:05 Future-Proofing Office Design
27:06 Hoteling and Hotspotting Trends
28:40 Challenges of Office Hoteling
29:10 Activity-Based Working and Technology
29:59 Real Estate and Organizational Behavior
30:31 Emerging Workplace Technologies
31:04 Employee Privacy Concerns
33:46 Evidence-Based Design in the Post-Pandemic World
35:38 The Importance of Physical Presence
37:53 Designing for Organizational Effectiveness
41:58 Organizational Network Analysis
48:34 The Role of Space in Leadership
50:46 Practical Tips for Leaders
52:34 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Rachel Casanova is Executive Managing Director of the Total Workplace Consulting Practice for the Northeast at Cushman & Wakefield. With nearly 30 years of experience, she helps organizations transform real estate from a cost center into a strategic business tool aligned with culture, performance, and human experience.

A graduate of Cornell University's College of Human Ecology, Rachel is widely recognized for integrating organizational behavior, business strategy, and evidence-based design to create workplaces that are both functional and future-ready.

In this episode, organizational psychologists Neil Jacobs and Dr. Taylere Markewich explore the concept of the "double bind" in workplace leadership—those contradictory messages that leave employees frozen and confused. A double bind occurs when leaders send mixed messages, saying one thing while their actions communicate something entirely different. Common examples include organizations declaring "we're family" while conducting layoffs, asking employees to "bring your whole authentic self" while expecting conformity, or promoting "empowerment" while maintaining tight control over decisions. These contradictions, often unintentional, create significant psychological strain for employees who find themselves unable to succeed at meeting both conflicting expectations simultaneously. The consequences range from disengagement and cynicism to broken psychological contracts and even counterproductive work behaviors.

Neil and Taylere share real-world examples from their coaching practices, including a leader who was told to prioritize efficiency but faced pushback for not focusing on employee feelings, and another who claimed to empower her team but consistently overrode their decisions without sharing organizational constraints upfront. The hosts emphasize that employees must learn to recognize double binds, assess their severity, and adapt to organizational reality rather than rebel against it. This means approaching job opportunities with healthy skepticism, testing promises with specific scenarios, and managing one's psychological contract by understanding what you're truly getting in exchange for what you're giving. As Taylere notes, your communication experience going into an organization will likely be your communication experience within it.

For leaders, the solution lies in making implicit expectations explicit and acknowledging the paradoxes that naturally exist in organizational culture. Rather than relying on aspirational clichés, leaders should describe how things actually work, including the tensions and limitations that exist. They must create space for employees to discuss contradictions without being labeled as complainers, maintain consistency from recruitment through employment, and go back to correct initial messaging when organizational realities shift. Ultimately, solving the double bind requires correcting communication issues and taking responsibility for the gap between what's promised and what's delivered, recognizing that congruent communication isn't just about avoiding difficult conversations—it's essential for driving organizational success.

Have a pause of the month or an episode idea? Email us at info@mindsopen.co

The core of the episode features an insightful interview with Nicole Stewart, Executive Director of Boston CASA, an organization dedicated to advocating for children who have experienced abuse and neglect and are court-involved or in foster care. Nicole powerfully narrates her deeply personal journey to discovering her "why," rooted in her own childhood experiences in foster care. She articulates the distinction between passion and purpose, explaining how her lifelong passion for children transformed into a refined, intentional purpose in her leadership at Boston CASA, bringing her greater clarity and authenticity. Her path involved extensive self-reflection and candid feedback, leading to a profound understanding of her unique contribution.

Nicole concludes by sharing her inspiring purpose statement, which publicly debuted at the 2025 Boston CASA Gala, "I'm a passionate growth-minded advocate for disadvantaged children." Her story underscores that while challenging, living one's why provides the resilience and drive necessary for impactful leadership, particularly in demanding fields.

Learn more about Boston CASA at www.bostoncasa.org