Go Where You’re Celebrated: Patience Ferguson
“GO WHERE YOU'RE CELEBRATED, NOT WHERE YOU'RE TOLERATED.”
Episode Description
In this episode of Leadership Matters, Patience Ferguson, Chief Human Resources Officer for Ramsey County, Minnesota, joins host Kaylee Thomsen for a powerful conversation on values-based leadership, resilience, and authenticity. Patience shares how an early experience of being treated unfairly shaped her commitment to HR and inclusive workplaces. With over 30 years of experience across nonprofit, city government, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, she reflects on leading through crisis, amplifying unheard voices, and aligning work with personal values. The conversation explores faith, family, lived experience, and her guiding belief: go where you’re celebrated, not tolerated.
Chapters
- 00:00 Intro: Meet Patience Ferguson
- 01:14 How She First Got Into Human Resources
- 11:26 The Support Systems That Shaped Her Resilience
- 12:08 What People Get Wrong About HR
- 15:26 Human Resources as Bridge Builder
- 16:35 Leading With Realness and Authenticity
- 17:41 Elevating Voices That Aren't Usually Heard
- 19:25 Discovering Her Core Values
- 22:09 Values as an Anchor Through Hard Seasons
- 24:13 When Values Come at a Cost
- 26:29 "Go Where You're Celebrated, Not Tolerated"
- 28:43 Living Your Values Through Volunteer Work
- 30:24 Final Advice: Truth Tellers, Not Truth Breakers
- 31:45 The Value of Lived Experience
More In The Series
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