Leadership isn’t as easy as it looks. Deadlines loom, challenges arise, and it’s easy to lose sight of joy in the hustle. Nicole Van Valen, CEO and founder of Keane Insights, is changing the way we think about leadership, resilience, and well-being in the workplace. Through her innovative platform, The Three Stages Along Your Resilience Journey, Nicole helps leaders and teams not just survive, but thrive.
But her story isn’t the typical corporate leadership journey. Before becoming a licensed behavioral health clinician, corporate consultant, and sought-after speaker, Nicole was an NFL cheerleader.
“My journey started as a Miami Dolphins cheerleader and Miami Heat dancer while I was obtaining my master’s degree in family therapy. That led me into the behavioral health space where I focused on mental health and well-being. Over time, I became passionate about helping people not only just survive, but thrive in different high-pressured environments.”
“Over time, I became passionate about helping people not only just survive, but thrive in different high-pressured environments.”
Nicole’s work focuses on creating resilient workplaces by empowering leaders to foster environments of psychological safety, emotional intelligence, and—perhaps most importantly—joy.
Resilience: A Team Effort
When most people think about resilience, they think of it as an individual trait—something you either have or don’t. But Nicole challenges that notion. She emphasizes that resilience is often viewed as an individual trait, but in reality, individuals operate within teams and organizations. Their resilience doesn’t exist in isolation—it influences and shapes the environment and people around them.
In other words, resilience isn’t just about personal grit—it’s about team dynamics, leadership support, and workplace culture. Nicole’s approach isn’t about forcing people to “toughen up.” Instead, it’s about equipping leaders and teams with the tools to manage stress, build trust, and prevent burnout—before it happens.
Leading by Example
Nicole highlights that leadership isn’t just about setting goals but about modeling the behaviors that create a healthy, engaged workforce, especially in a society that seems to wear busyness and stress as badges of honor.
“If we have a manager that is taking their PTO, that is engaged in self-care, that is engaged in activities that they enjoy outside of work, and bringing their joyful, authentic self into the team dynamic, then they’re leading from a place of trust, authenticity, vulnerability.”
“If we have a manager that is taking their PTO, that is engaged in self-care, that is engaged in activities that they enjoy outside of work, and bringing their joyful, authentic self into the team dynamic, then they’re leading from a place of trust, authenticity, vulnerability.”
Her advice for leaders is simple but powerful: prioritize your well-being so your team feels empowered to do the same. It’s not just about preventing burnout—it’s about cultivating innovation, engagement, and long-term success.
The Power of Emotional Intelligence
Nicole also stresses the growing importance of emotional intelligence in leadership. In today’s evolving workplace, where employees expect empathetic leadership, top-down management styles are becoming obsolete.
“What we need from leaders now is a leader that has this self-awareness and they’re able to self-regulate themselves. They have this emotional intelligence where they’re providing motivation and they have empathy, and they have the social skills that are needed to build strong relationships with their teams.”
Organizations that embrace mental health and emotional intelligence as part of their corporate strategy aren’t just supporting their teams—they’re seeing increased engagement, improved retention, and greater innovation.
Rediscovering Joy
A big part of Nicole’s approach is helping leaders and teams reconnect with what brings them joy.
“I have a three-step model that you can utilize to help you discover yourself, design the landscape in front of you—that’s like your culture—and then go ahead and deliver on your goal.”
For some, joy might come from picking up a long-lost hobby:
“One CEO of a marketing organization had a hard time figuring out what brings them joy. They’re like, ‘Oh, well, I love doing strategy in my business. That’s what brings me joy.’ And I’m thinking, ‘That’s great, but maybe we can tap into finding out some other things that brought you joy. Maybe what were some things that you did before you founded your business that brought you joy?’”
Another person remembered their love for art and decided to take a drawing class with their daughter—a simple, but profound shift.
For Nicole, joy isn’t just a “nice-to-have.” It’s a critical component of resilience.
The Joyful Leader
Nicole’s book, The Joyful Leader, is an extension of this philosophy.
“In the book, you’re not going to only get my stories, but you’re going to get other athletes in various sports, people in entertainment and philanthropists, their experience of how they were able to be resilient.”
More than just a leadership book, The Joyful Leader is a guide to:
- Reducing stress
- Transforming leadership through joy
- Creating a culture of well-being
And the best part? It’s backed by real stories, peer-reviewed research, and practical tools to help leaders and teams thrive.
You can find The Joyful Leader available for preorder on Nicole’s website.
Take the First Step
If Nicole could leave you with one simple tip, it would be this:
“I would challenge you to close your eyes and take three deep breaths. That’s it. And then open your eyes and go and deliver on whatever you are about to go do.”
“I would challenge you to close your eyes and take three deep breaths. That’s it. And then open your eyes and go and deliver on whatever you are about to go do.”
Resilience doesn’t happen overnight. But with the right mindset, leadership approach, and—yes—a little joy, it’s possible to create workplaces where people feel valued, empowered, and inspired.
Learn more about Nicole’s work at Keane Insights and connect with her on LinkedIn. And don’t forget to check out her full episode on the Riveo Impact Lab podcast!
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