Heal to Lead

8Four Fundamentals

OTHER THAN A good amount of risk tolerance, the drive to prove oneself, and the ability to increase revenue year over year, no one ever tells us how to lead effectively, let alone what to expect along the way. There is no toolkit or manual for leading organizations. And there has been a marked lack of research, resources, and tools to help integrate the trauma we bring with us into our leadership roles.

We need a radical alternative to the rinse-and-repeat mentality we've all been led to believe—no, lied to believe—is necessary: to hustle, grind, crush, extract, command, control, produce, mask, suppress, and please. In the name of leading from a healthier, more secure place, I believe doing the difficult work of integrating our underlying trauma is the way forward. The path looks different for each and every one of us, yet the objective is similar for most of us: learn to regulate our emotions so we can respond versus react, create safety for ourselves, and set healthy boundaries in all areas of our lives. From here, all things become possible.

As leaders, we have a responsibility to work on our own emotional maturity in order to serve others from a place of integrity. The four fundamentals of high-conscious leadership are universal principles that I propose as a new framework for leading, living, and loving in the world today:

1. Integrating Trauma
2. Embodying Vulnerability
3. Leading with Compassion
4. Lighting the Way

I see the integration of childhood trauma, ...