Author ORCID Identifier:

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2585-2245

Date of Graduation

8-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision (PhD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods

Advisor/Mentor

Popejoy, Erin

Committee Member

Julie Hill

Second Committee Member

Kristin Higgins

Keywords

childhood trauma; high-achieving corporate men; interpretative phenomenological analysis; masculinity; resilience; value systems

Abstract

This qualitative study employed Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore how childhood trauma influences the value systems of high-achieving corporate men. In contemporary corporate culture, where stoicism, performance, and independence are often rewarded, little attention is paid to how early adversity informs internal frameworks of meaning, leadership, and success. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six high-achieving men, all executives and leaders in high-performing industries, who self-identified as having experienced childhood trauma. Data were analyzed using a six-step IPA process and interpreted through the lens of Schwartz’s Theory of Basic Human Values and social constructivism. Findings revealed that childhood trauma deeply shaped participants’ held values around control, success, self-sufficiency, and integrity. Participants described formative messages of scarcity, conditional love, and emotional suppression that fueled a relentless drive for achievement. While many externalized successes as a form of redemption and protection, they also reported internal struggles with isolation, unmet emotional needs, and difficulty sustaining interpersonal relationships. Key themes emerged, including the impact of childhood adversity on value formation, financial security and fear of loss, resilience and drive to succeed, authenticity, integrity and empathetic leadership, work-life balance and personal wellbeing, and lastly, interpersonal relationships and the “Tribe” mentality. This study provides insight into how trauma-informed values manifest in corporate leadership and personal identity. It challenges traditional narratives of masculinity and success by illustrating how resilience is often rooted in unprocessed pain. Implications are offered for mental health professionals, counselor educators, and leadership development programs to better recognize achievement as a potential coping mechanism and support healthier models of masculinity and value integration. Keywords: childhood trauma, high-achieving corporate men, value systems, masculinity, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, leadership, resilience

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