Thriving Leadership in an Age of Disruption In today’s world, we’re grappling with an unprecedented convergence of challenges: climate change, digital transformation, social upheaval, economic uncertainties, and more. These forces necessitate a shift from traditional leadership models to ones that can meet these new demands effectively. At Wisdom Works, we advocate for a transformative approach that we call thriving leadership. This paradigm goes beyond navigating disruption; it’s about transforming it into opportunities for growth, capacity-building, and overall wellbeing. Leaders who adopt this paradigm view every aspect of their organization—from tech innovations to brands and daily operations—as chances to succeed in ways where people and the planet can thrive. Seven Shifts in Consciousness, Capability, and Impact Thriving leadership is about building on the best of how we’ve led in the past, yet broadening our consciousness, capabilities, and impact. It challenges both formal and informal leaders to elevate how they use their power and influence through seven essential shifts: From Transactional to TRANSFORMATIONAL From Individual Control to COLLECTIVE EMPOWERMENT From Efficiencies to SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE From Action without Awareness to INTEGRITY From Extraction to REGENERATION From Siloed Thinking to ECOSYSTEM SYNERGY From Burnout to WELLBEING Thriving Leadership Is Personal The seven shifts toward…

We all got these big ideas. One day they’re replaced with fears. How did we get here? Darlin’, don’t quit your daydream. It’s your life that you’re making. It ain’t big enough if it doesn’t scare the hell out of you. If it makes you nervous, it’s probably worth it. Why save it for sleep when you could be living your daydream? Lily Meola’s song Daydream (quoted above) beautifully captures how we diminish our lives and work when we disconnect with our ability to imagine. She reminds us we come alive when we reconnect with our inborn creative power. I used to be in a tug of war with my creativity. For the sake of that ever-important “to-do” list, early in my career it was easy to dismiss the inspirations bubbling up within me. Yet, I’ve learned that creativity is not only a natural wellspring of wellbeing, when put to constructive use, it’s also an expression of the best of our individual and collective ingenuity. Just look around you: In large and small ways, people are applying their creativity to accomplish the improbable and extraordinary every day. Today, I tune in to my creative impulses and encourage others to do…

I recently participated in a transformative ceremony with Native American elders in New Mexico as part of a gathering of leadership development professionals hosted by our team at Wisdom Works. At dusk one evening, we formed a circle under the canopy of a huge cottonwood tree to celebrate the mystery of life in the seven, sacred directions integral to the elders’ worldview: East, South, West, North, the Earth, the Cosmos, and Within. The experience was medicine for my soul; l left it feeling deeply connected and restored. Why did this ceremony leave such an indelible impression within me? Because the wisdom these Elders conveyed was simple and profound: Our interconnectedness is inextricable. The birds and trees and rocks and rivers are our relatives, and as relatives, no being is any better than any other. Humans are not the center of life, we are part of life’s fine-tuned web. Consider a few of the countless examples of how we interconnected: Of the 3 billion genetic building blocks that make up living things, we are 99.9% genetically similar to each other across the globe, 98.8% similar to chimps, 94% similar to dogs, and 60% similar to fruit flies and bananas! We rely…

An executive recently said to me, “I feel like I’m making big decisions while walking in molasses.” He’s mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted, working from a depth of fatigue that can’t be cured by a good night’s sleep. Ever felt the same way? All of us experience periods when we don’t feel as internally well-resourced to handle the complexities and demands we find ourselves in. No one is immune from this aspect of being human. Yet, too often, we’re operating from states of prolonged distraction, disconnection, and depletion. Feeling dysregulated at times is normal, yet the research intersecting wellbeing and leadership emphasizes that leading while chronically overstressed can have damaging consequences to the decisions we make, impacting our results, our lives, and the lives of others. For example, scientists at Stanford University’s School of Medicine find that physician burnout may be the source of more medical errors than unsafe medical workplace conditions; plus, it’s linked to lower quality of patient care, lower patient satisfaction, and higher physician turnover. The diminished wellbeing of judges can erode courtroom decorum and the decisions made, harming the people served and the public’s trust and confidence in the judicial system. In sports, high anxiety, burnout,…