Leading with Heart: Heidi M. Johnson of Spiritual Care Guild at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles On The Power of Authentic Women’s Leadership
An Interview With Pirie Jones Grossman
Leaders need to have a plan, a vision and a dream for what they want to accomplish. You have to know where you want to go in order to get there. When I started Charity Matters in 2011, I wanted to be a storyteller to inspire others to serve. As time went on the plan became clearer and grew to the website, the podcast, the tv show and now the book, Change for Good.
In today’s dynamic world, the concept of leadership is continuously evolving. While traditional leadership models have often been male-dominated, there is a growing recognition of the unique strengths and perspectives that women bring to these roles. This series aims to explore how women can become more effective leaders by authentically embracing their femininity and innate strengths, rather than conforming to traditional male leadership styles. In this series, we are talking to successful women leaders, coaches, authors, and experts who can provide insights and personal stories on how embracing their inherent feminine qualities has enhanced their leadership abilities. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Heidi M Johnson.
Heidi Johnson is a nonprofit founder, storyteller and believer in good. She is a much sought after expert in the field of service and philanthropy, who’s been seen on KTLA, Thrive Global and Voyage Magazine. In 2002, after a tragedy affected her family, she turned pain into purpose by co-founding a nonprofit at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, providing chaplains of all faiths.
Today, when she isn’t running a nonprofit, interviewing modern day heroes for her podcast Charity Matters, you will often find her going for a hike or working on her new book, Change for Good.
To learn more about Heidi Johnson and how you can change for good visit www.charity-matters.com
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about authentic, feminine leadership, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
Everything happens for a reason. In my experience, it is those huge defining moments in our lives that stop us and turn our lives upside down and heading in a new direction. My career in philanthropy and nonprofit was triggered by a horrible car accident that left my mom and two of our dear family friends dead. My dad was in a coma for a month from the accident and others were hurt.
Out of that horrific accident, a nonprofit was born. A year after the accident, my friend, Father John Sigler, asked for help where he worked at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He was the only chaplain for 300,000 children at CHLA and he needed help. Father John asked a group of us to help him create a nonprofit to provide chaplains of all faiths at Children’s Hospital. We did just that and so much more.
Once you are part of a tiny cog in a very big wheel of helping others, well, there is no going back. We started the Spiritual Care Guild in 2003 and since that day my life and career has been all about service. From starting a nonprofit, then starting Charity Matters to tell stories of other nonprofit founders to running a nonprofit called TACSC to writing my new book, Change for Good. All of it is about service and how we can not lead unless we serve.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
There were a thousand divine moments that happened when we started the Spiritual Care Guild but this one reminds me everyday that God/the Universe has a bigger plan for us all. I met a beautiful person named Christy Mossman and she said she wanted to join our group. She then came to me and said, “No, I don’t want to join. I want to be a chaplain.” We had just started our nonprofit and the first year we were able to hire one chaplain intern. We hired Christy.
All our chaplains go to school to become CPE, Clinical Pastoral Educators and then they train under more senior chaplains before going out on their own. Christy did all her hours and training. On Christy’s first week on her own she was called to visit a family whose three year old daughter was dying of bone cancer. The only thing that brought this little girl comfort was her pink fuzzy blanket and her Disney princess soundtrack.
Christy walked into the room and heard a familiar voice. She walked to the music and turned it off. The family asked her why she did that? Christy’s reply, “That is my voice on the soundtrack. I recorded this album and now I want to sing to you in person.” Christy sang to the little girl every day until she passed and then sang at her funeral. She was called to be her chaplain.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
I think anytime you start an organization to serve others, it stands apart. After starting a nonprofit I went on a mission to find my people. At the time there wasn’t a CNN Heroes and finding stories about people who serve and do this very hard work was difficult. So I decided to find these heroes and tell their stories myself by founding Charity Matters in 2011.
Charity Matters mission is to inspire others to serve by sharing inspirational stories of amazing unsung heroes making a difference. We have done this for over a decade by interviewing modern day heroes who help solve the problems of humanity through our website, weekly newsletter and podcast. I wanted and still want the world to know these people, their journeys and how they used pain for good.
In the early days there was know way of knowing who I was reaching, how effective we were but each week I interviewed and shared these stories. One of the earlier people I interviewed was a young woman who had been a Vegas showgirl. She didn’t have health care and was diagnosed with breast cancer. As a result she needed a double mastectomy but could not afford reconstructive surgery. So she started a nonprofit called My Hope Chest. She was gritty with a heart of gold, so inspiring. The founder worked in the grocery store sampling meat products and refinanced her home to keep her nonprofit going.
We shared her story and people sent in donations. It was such a powerful reminder of the good we can do with storytelling and compassion.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I think the character traits that have been instrumental in my work are being a dreamer, a planner and goal setter. All entrepreneurs including the ones that I interview each week start with a vision, a goal and a dream. They then take that dream like my first entrepreneurial adventure in starting a nonprofit. The dream was to have chaplains 24 hours a day seven days a week at CHLA. The goal was to have 24/7 coverage in the first year. A goal is how much and by when. The plan was how we were going to implement that vision.
The first month of starting the nonprofit we decided to host a breakfast at a friends club, where we could float the bill for a month. We had zero funds and zero members. Just the nine of us and Father John. We each invited 20 people, so 200 people total. One hundred came and we spoke about our vision and dream. We told stories. That day everyone who came joined and everyone wrote us a check and that is how we began.
That leads to the second trait which is communication. How do you communicate that vision? How do you bring people along to help you make this dream become a reality? You tell stories like the one I shared about Christy. You connect and you spread your light like you are lighting candle after candle. When we started Spiritual Care Guild we had zero financial resources. Today we have a ten million dollar interfaith chapel and over 25 chaplains and students. Vision and communication changed the culture of a hospital that was over one hundred years old. Now pediatric hospitals look to CHLA as a model for Spiritual Care.
The third trait which is a blessing and a curse is being stubborn. Standing up for what you believe is right and knowing when to hold your ground. Hospital’s are political places and there is often a lot to navigate and we had more than our share of obstacles. You need to know when to back down and when to stand firm.
Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader? I’m curious to understand how these challenges have shaped your leadership.
I think one of the hardest things for leaders to do is walk away and knowing when their work is done. As my husband always says,” You should enter everything, except a marriage, with an exit strategy.” He is right. Succession planning should start early, not late. Real leaders grow other leaders.
When we started Spiritual Care, I was President for the first few years and was actively involved for five. Our nonprofit baby was ready to go to kindergarten and was on its way. I knew for the organization to grow with fresh ideas I was going to have to walk away.
Founders often attach their identity to their organization and then separating the brand from the person becomes difficult. The Spiritual Care Guild was started by nine of us but as the leader for the first few years it became attached to me. I knew the time had come to walk away so that our baby could thrive and grow which it has done with other remarkable women leaders. It was difficult and I’ve stayed involved with the hospital via board work. Knowing when to go is never easy but oh so important.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you share a personal experience where embracing your unique leadership style, which might not align with traditional expectations, led to a significant positive impact in your organization or team?
In my role as a leader of a nonprofit, the youth leadership organization that I run, we have many moving pieces. As a nonprofit Executive Director, you manage your staff and your board of directors. The board should be giving the Executive Director the map and then they drive the car/the organization to the destination. Essentially you have 17 bosses.
With TACSC, I have 17 bosses, a staff of four, one hundred and fifty volunteer staff and we work with hundreds of schools. Communication is critical with so many moving parts. I can not micro-manage but need to trust the people I’m working with and make sure all of us are rowing in the right and same direction towards our goal.
One tool that I have used with my team and board for decades is my weekly wins. Every Friday afternoon, I write up five to seven wins I had during the week with bullet points. I then list two to three challenges and roadblocks of whereI am stuck. Then I list my next steps, where I am heading the following week. This helps me celebrate my success, ask for help and focus on next steps. I send this every Friday to my board and my team sends their wins to me every Friday as well.
This way I can help my staff, see what they need from me and how I can help them move forward. It also helps me to close my laptop on Friday afternoons and create a little bit of a work boundary for the weekend most weeks.
In your journey as a leader, how have you balanced demonstrating resilience, often seen as a masculine trait, with showing vulnerability, which is equally powerful, but typically feminine? Can you give an example where this balance created a meaningful difference?
Resilience and vulnerability aren’t opposing forces; they are complementary tools that every leader needs to master. For me, resilience means staying grounded in the face of challenges, while vulnerability is about fostering genuine connections and trust. The key is knowing when to lean into each.
A moment that stands out was during a particularly intense board meeting where a major decision had to be made. The discussion had become rigid, with strong personalities clashing and little room for real progress. Instead of pushing back with sheer determination, I took a step back and acknowledged the frustration in the room. I openly admitted that the stakes were high and that I, like everyone else, wanted the best outcome — but I needed to understand where each person was coming from. That small moment of openness shifted the energy. It diffused tension, encouraged others to share their concerns more constructively, and ultimately led us to a solution that might not have been reached if we had all just kept pushing forward without pause.
Leadership isn’t about always having the answers or always being the strongest voice in the room. It’s about knowing when to stand firm and when to create space for conversation. The balance between resilience and vulnerability isn’t a compromise — it’s a strategy for building trust, making informed decisions, and leading effectively.
As a woman in leadership, how have you navigated and challenged gender stereotypes, especially in situations where traditional male-dominated approaches are the norm? What strategies have you employed to remain authentic to your style?
Let’s start with the fact that I have raised three sons and often feel like I am the only girl in a male locker room. So it is a space that I am used to and comfortable with. I am also strong, direct and don’t believe that any human regardless of gender can take their “trash can” and give it to someone else. We all have trash and how we decide to take it out, recycle it or use it as fuel is our choice.
I have sat on many boards in the past two decades which sometimes can feel like being in locker rooms. When I think of some of the people I have encountered as challenging or bully types, I really think of them as little boys. I ask myself, how would I have handled them if they were behaving badly in my yard with my boys? Whatever the answer, it is the same way I manage them in a boardroom. Usually my tactics are calling them out, privately always, then using humor and listening to defuse and move forward.
How do you utilize emotional intelligence and active listening to create an inclusive environment in your team or organization? Could you share a specific instance where these qualities particularly enhanced team dynamics or performance?”
Our team at TACSC celebrates our wins, our personal successes via email each Friday. Then on Monday mornings our team meets via zoom to talk about these things. We have a google doc pre meeting that we each list three things we need to discuss and the level of importance rated next to each item. We are each given 15 minutes, more if required to discuss the three main things we are focusing on for the week. This time combined with the wins really helps us hear each other and work together to move forward successfully.
What role has mentorship played in developing your authentic leadership style, and how do you communicate authentically to inspire and empower both your mentors and mentees?
I have had so many incredible mentors over the years and each one has left me wanting to be better and do better. Running a youth leadership organization that serves three thousand students a year, mentorship is at the core of everything we do. At TACSC, our college students teach our high school students and our high school students teach our middle school students leadership.
Each year I am in the privileged position of watching thousands of student mentor one another. You can not lead unless you are a life-long mentor and learner. We all need to be mentors and we all need to have them. I hope the mentees I’ve worked with have seen the choices I make with my time and my life. So many students have been programmed where to go to school, what grades to get but they have no idea how to live. People need to be seeking joy and happiness and I hope I have modeled that behavior because life is short. Joy is a choice.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways Leading Authentically As A Woman Will Affect Your Leadership”?
1 . Leaders need to have a plan, a vision and a dream for what they want to accomplish. You have to know where you want to go in order to get there. When I started Charity Matters in 2011, I wanted to be a storyteller to inspire others to serve. As time went on the plan became clearer and grew to the website, the podcast, the tv show and now the book, Change for Good.
2 . All leaders need to be effective communicators and communicate the plan. Once the vision is set, communicating that message consistently and openly is so important. Charity Matters has connected hundreds of nonprofit founders and their mission to a growing audience that brings people and causes together through the power of storytelling. Every single person I have met along the way has helped share our message, become a friend or paid our work forward.
3 . Real leaders grow other leaders. People who lead know the power of mentorship and develop mentors and become them. In my work at TACSC, I work with thousands of young leaders each year. One of the greatest gifts is seeing some of our students come to us in 6th grade and by high school become the teacher. Today we have students who are now in their late twenties still volunteering with us who are getting their PHDs in leadership. It gives me such joy to see the cycle of mentoring continue.
4 . You can not lead unless you serve. This is the basis for all of my work. We are all here on this planet to serve one another and use our gifts to help each other not to compete. If leaders could understand this basic premise the world would be a better place.
5 . Lastly, leaders are adaptable. Life happens, things change and we have to adapt. When COVID struck we knew that our students had been locked away from friends and connection. We adapted and sent camp in a box and went on zoom. One of our alumni is a film student and produced our summer camp. It was extraordinary and the students were so happy. We all have to learn to adapt. When life throws us lemons, we need to find a way to make lemonade.
Are there potential pitfalls or challenges associated with being an empathetic leader? How can these be addressed?
I think that once upon a time people believed that being empathetic can lead to being perceived as weak. However, I think and hope that people like Brené Brown have reinforced the idea of strength in vulnerability. We are human and that means we come with emotions. To be effective leaders we have to manage emotions sometimes too.
I believe the best way to manage anything is swiftly, privately and directly. Find out what is happening in someone’s life. Ask them what they need from you? Think about how you would want to be treated if you were in that position. These are not impossible choices, they are simple ones that we all have and need to make a habit of to be strong, kind and empathetic leaders.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
My hope is that by sharing these stories each week on Charity Matter about people who change the world through their service and their leadership that others are inspired to do something, even if it’s a tiny act of kindness. My new book, Change for Good’s message is that service is the silver bullet. If you want to feel better, physically or mentally simply help someone. It really is that simple. That is the movement and message that I hope people will take away from my work.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Website: https://charity-matters.com
Instagram: @CharityMatters and @HeidiJohnsonOffical
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharityMattersLA
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-mcniff-johnson-7758b225/
Twitter: @Charity_Matters
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CharityMatters/featured
Other: Spotify for Podcast- https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/charity-matters
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Pirie is a TedX speaker, author and a Life Empowerment Coach. She is a co-host of Own your Throne podcast, inspiring women in the 2nd chapter of their lives. With over 20 years in front of the camera, Pirie Grossman understands the power of storytelling. After success in commercials and acting. She spent 10 years reporting for E! Entertainment Television, Entertainment Tonight, also hosted ABC’s “Every Woman”. Her work off-camera capitalizes on her strength, producing, bringing people together for unique experiences. She produced a Children’s Day of Compassion during the Dalai Lama’s visit here in 2005. 10,000 children attended, sharing ideas about compassion with His Holiness. From 2006–2009, Pirie Co-chaired the Special Olympics World Winter Games, in Idaho, welcoming 3,000 athletes from over 150 countries. She founded Destiny Productions to create Wellness Festivals and is an Advisory Board member of the Sun Valley Wellness Board.In February 2017, Pirie produced, “Love is Louder”, a Brain Health Summit, bringing in Kevin Hines, noted suicide survivor to Sun Valley who spoke to school kids about suicide. Sun Valley is in the top 5% highest suicide rate per capita in the Northwest, prompting a community initiative with St. Luke’s and other stake holders, to begin healing. She lives in Sun Valley with her two children, serves on the Board of Community School. She has her Master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica and is an Executive Life Empowerment Coach, where she helps people meet their dreams and goals! The difference between a dream and a goal is that a goal is a dream with a date on it!
Leading with Heart: Heidi M Johnson of Spiritual Care Guild at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles On was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.