Leadership Communication Series: Leading Above the Line
Leadership Communication Series: Leading Above the Line
This course includes
The instructors
Overview
Great leadership starts long before you step into a formal leadership role. As a physiotherapist assistant (PTA), the way you think and respond in the moment shapes patient care, team collaboration, and the day-to-day feel of your workplace. So what happens when a full caseload, a tense conversation, or an unexpected change pushes you into a reactive mode you didn't choose?
This recording is the first session of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association's Leadership Communication Series, originally delivered live for the National Physiotherapist Assistant Assembly (NPAA), with more live sessions to come. In this interactive session, certified coach Jessie Sousa introduces the Above and Below the Line framework, a simple way to locate your mindset in any moment. Above the line, you are open, curious, and committed to learning. Below the line, defensiveness, blame, and the need to be right take over. You'll explore how stress and perceived threats pull you below the line, how the story you tell yourself after a trigger shapes what you do next, and how to shift back with intention. You'll leave with practical tools to navigate workplace challenges with greater emotional intelligence, resilience, and accountability.
Learning Objectives
In this course, you will:
- Differentiate between Above the Line and Below the Line leadership behaviours.
- Recognize common triggers that contribute to reactive thinking and behaviour.
- Identify personal patterns that impact workplace relationships and performance.
- Apply strategies to move from reaction to intentional response.
- Strengthen accountability, emotional intelligence, and self-leadership skills.
- Develop greater awareness of how mindset influences workplace outcomes.
Audience
This course was created for physiotherapist assistants who want to build leadership skills from wherever they sit on the care team, whether or not they hold a formal leadership title. The Above and Below the Line framework isn't specific to any one role, so the session is just as useful for physiotherapists, clinic owners, and other allied health professionals who lead teams, supervise support staff, or want to communicate more intentionally under pressure. No prior leadership training is required. If you've ever walked away from a conversation wishing you'd responded differently, this session is for you.
Why This Course Matters
Healthcare workplaces test emotional regulation constantly. Heavy workloads, competing priorities, and high-stakes interactions with patients and colleagues can trigger a threat response even when nothing is physically at risk. When that happens, it's easy to slip into blame or defensiveness without noticing, and those moments ripple outward into team dynamics and the care your patients receive. The goal isn't to stay above the line all the time, because dipping below is human. What matters is recognizing it early and choosing how you respond. Jessie shares practical tools you can use in the moment, including pausing to create space between a trigger and your reaction and checking in with your head, heart, and body before you act. Small, consistent shifts like these add up to stronger working relationships, a healthier team culture, and greater personal resilience.
About the Presenter
Jessie Sousa, B.Comm., Certified Coach
Jessie Sousa is a certified coach, facilitator, and creator of The Ripple Rewired, a leadership and personal development platform focused on helping people cultivate greater self-awareness, strengthen communication, and lead with intention. Drawing on her background in leadership, communication, coaching, and adult learning, Jessie delivers engaging workshops that blend practical workplace skills with meaningful personal insight. Her areas of expertise include leadership development, communication, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and mindset. Known for her relatable storytelling and interactive facilitation style, Jessie helps participants move beyond theory and into real-world application. Whether working with leaders, teams, or emerging professionals, her goal is to create learning experiences that inspire lasting growth, stronger relationships, and greater confidence in navigating workplace challenges.
The instructors
Material included in this course
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Course Materials
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Welcome
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Full presentation
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Summary and Key Insights
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Feedback
What is the Above and Below the Line framework?
It's a way to describe where your mindset sits in any given moment. Above the line, you're open, curious, and focused on learning. Below the line, you're more likely to react with defensiveness, blame, or a need to be right. The framework helps you notice where you are so you can shift intentionally.
Do I need to be in a leadership role to take this course?
No. The session focuses on self-leadership and communication skills you can use in any role on the care team.
Is a certificate of completion included with this course?
Once you have completed the course, a certificate of completion (including learning hours and course information) will be generated. You can download this certificate at any time. To learn more about course certificates on Embodia please visit this guide.
This can be used for continuing education credits, depending on your professional college or association. If this course has been approved for CEUs in specific jurisdictions, it will be noted on the course page and CEU information may be added to your course certificate. Please read this guide for more information.
I'm a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA). What are the discounts available to CPA Members on Embodia?
As part of our partnership with the CPA, we offer its members discounts on courses and Embodia Memberships. Learn more about the partnership on this page.
In order for the discount to be applied, you first need to authenticate your CPA membership. This is an important step as this is how Embodia 'knows' that you are a CPA member.
To authenticate as a CPA member, please visit this page on the CPA portal.
Please note that your email address on your CPA account must match your email address on Embodia. If needed, you can update your information on Embodia as outlined in this guide.