Leadership in the new era | karaoke, communion, & good karma
My Mary Poppins bag of tricks for my co-live/co-work tour includes these goodies to support the "reflect" theme of my Asheville visit
When I began this writing journey, I said I was on a quest to explore what community means to me at this life juncture. In 2022, I spent a lot of time participating in communities that others had constructed and facilitated. This included a coaching community, a writing community, an accountability group, retreat communities, co-living communities, among others. Inevitably, as an entrepreneur at heart, these experiences of serving as a participant in services or products that others have designed, sparks a lot of thoughts about how I would want to do it differently.
And in my efforts to take moments of “pause” in the midst of the momentum I was building in 2023, I realized that I was finally embracing the call to leadership in the midst of my curiosity about community. My Asheville co-work/co-live stop was with a friend from my Seattle chapter, and our theme for our time together was “reflect.” I often value solo reflection as a way to connect with my inner wisdom, but taking time to co-reflect with a dear friend, and receive reflections based upon the evolutions we have both witnessed, is indeed precious.
Prior to this visit, I had spent time with her in March 2022, fresh off my failed attempts to freeze my eggs and re-orient to life in the States, in a bit of a tail spin around what was next in my life. At the time she was adapting to her first corporate Human Resources job, which had been on her manifestation list for quite some time. We were both a little shaken, disoriented, and drained by the recent changes in our lives, leading to self-doubt and a tendency towards isolation in our day-to-day lives. But ten months later, we were able to see the resilience we had both demonstrated in persisting through a challenging time, and the confidence that we had both found on the other side in our unique abilities and contributions.
She indicated that in March, it seemed like I was waiting for someone to give me an opportunity that aligned with my skills, gifts, and curiosities. It was a passive stance, hoping someone else would see and value my experience, while I myself was questioning my life and career decisions that had led me to that point. And in this moment, she was witnessing me taking the reins, creating the things in the world that I had been waiting for someone else to build. Time to be my own knight in shining armor. Maybe self-leadership is the foundation of any heroic leadership story…
Ironically, I then looked up and saw all that I was creating, after having allowed my natural draw to leadership to take a back seat for over a year. One of my Jewish mystic friends shared that last year was focused on the concept of “sabbath,” where we were called to let the land (and ourselves), rest. And now here we are in the year of Hakhel, which is the year of gathering, where men, women, and children assemble in the Temple to hear the sacred texts read aloud. I don’t know about you, but that feels right in my spirit.
Our pilot mastermind coaching group is up and running! Finding the balance of virtual vs. in-person communion is an interesting curiosity I have...
So to respond to this call to take a leadership role in the spirit of gathering, these are some of my core commitments:
A pilot mastermind coaching group I launched in January, where I see my role as a leader as a facilitator of giving and receiving cycles among high-capacity, impact-driven, and heart-centered women.
A monthly international “communion” circle, where connections are designed to be lateral rather than horizontal and space is held for inner as well as outer connection.
Co-hosting a group of visionary entrepreneurs featured on the Soul Kitchen podcast to celebrate the foundations they have created in 2022 and, in community, amplify their visions for 2023.
Experimenting with new ways of working and connecting in the “new normal” of remote work through my co-live/co-work tour, so I can support people in thoughtfully hacking this lifestyle shift.
Connecting to networks of conscious travelers, entrepreneurs, leaders, and explorers who feel a call to serve as pioneers of the future.
Perhaps what I am seeking to create is more “communion” over community, which was inspired by a conversation with a fellow coach and thought partner. When looking up this definition, the Oxford Languages suggests communion is: “the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.” I think that is a lot of what we are each still longing for in our “post-covid” era…intimacy, mutuality, and a sense of shared safety within collective spaces.
As these insights flowed, I had the opportunity to compliment what I was learning through experience with an Awakening Conscious Leadership virtual conference, where a new set of tools, perspectives, and frameworks arrived at my doorstep to buttress my call to leadership. We discussed the fact that technology is now outpacing humans ability to adapt to the changes. And what that means about how valuable it is to be plugging into community and coaching circles to crowdsource insights, information, and collectively problem-solve. We also discussed that in the same way there are energy vampires in organizations who bring their colleagues down, we can be energy amplifiers, especially as leaders, which comes from staying committed to keeping our heart open and our nervous system regulated.
With stops complete to Nashville, Asheville, and Atlanta, I am now settling into Austin to support one of my coaching clients with her passion-infused conscious fashion project, and will see what leadership lessons continue to unfold from here.
As I sign-off, I find myself curious about how your definitions of leadership are shifting or evolving, according to how you are responding to the continued changing tides? Love to hear from you!
Maybe one of my favorite ways to "commune" is over an evening of karaoke, especially when it involves celebrating a friend's birthday. Those vibrations are soooo high!
