Danielle Lord, PhD
Founder and Principal, Archetype Learning Solutions
PhD in Leadership Theory | Founder of Archetype Learning Solutions | Former Chief Learning Officer for the State of Washington
Expert Contributor | She Owns Success
Meet The Expert
Danielle Lord, PhD
Danielle Lord, PhD is a leadership development researcher and creator of evidence-based tools that help leaders repair, reimagine, and rebuild healthier organizations. Drawing on three decades of work at the intersection of organizational development, well-being, and learning design, she translates complex data and real-world experience into practical playbooks, curricula, and business solutions for clients across sectors.
A Pacific Northwest native, Danielle lives in Auburn, Washington, with her husband, Stephen, their cat “Kitten,” and they have five adult children. When she is not designing new tools or gathering stories from the field, she can be found antiquing, gardening, or enjoying a good glass of wine.
Professional Background & Training
Danielle’s portfolio includes leading leadership development and learning strategy for the Port of Seattle, serving as Chief Learning Officer for the State of Washington, and directing physician and leader development for Providence Health & Services, a five-state health system with 75,000 employees. As founder of her own practice and projects like HelixMD, she designs “leadership labs” and recovery-focused development experiences for physicians and other leaders navigating high-stakes, high-burnout environments.
Since 2008, Danielle has served as graduate faculty at Brandman University, teaching more than 17 different leadership and organizational change courses and developing over 48 custom programs and courses for organizations of all sizes. She earned her PhD in Leadership Theory in 2007, where she studied nursing dissatisfaction, and continues to conduct qualitative research into the developmental and recovery needs of aspiring physician leaders.
Philosophy
Danielle Lord believes healthier organizations are built through intentional leadership development, reflective learning, and systems that support both performance and human wellbeing. Her work combines research, organizational strategy, and practical development tools to help leaders navigate complexity, burnout, and long-term cultural change.