I was discussing the recent Brexit march in London (the biggest since the Iraq war march) with a friend who attended, and she described the sea of people as a ‘body of light’ advancing on the Capital. Some may see this as a bit naïve or romantic but the description both moved me deeply and got me thinking.
We are in a time when peaceful and conscious activism is what’s needed. Needed because there are so many massive areas of human life and choice-making that need changing, and where leadership is required.
Leadership that comes from the heart and the soul. Leadership that is light filled and seeking to bring awareness, openness and the deep possibility for change to be realised – not by force or pressure but by standing up, by having a ‘voice’. A ‘voice’ which in many ways I would describe as feminine.
Harnessing the inner power of each person and building something even greater – the true manifestation of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.
For me, the feminine approach means that we work as a collaborative force, as a connected entity that recognises all perspectives, and works to create the space for new, creative resolutions to come forward. Harnessing the inner power of each person and building something even greater – the true manifestation of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. Now I’m not saying that the march on Saturday was populated by people who all believe or indeed act from this space. I do know that there were many people who participated whose aim was to seek a better outcome for all stakeholders but didn’t use physical force or aggressive rhetoric to create change.
So leading with a feminine voice means leading as a connected group, leading as a body of people with common values. In connected group formation, we lead from a place that is drawing on feminine principles of sisterhood and brotherhood, of deep dialogue and free expression, of mutual respect and curiosity, of synthetic, not expedient, solutions. Group leadership is about the group recognising its collective voice and ‘power’, not as power over others but as a force for change and a force for good – Gandhi-style if you will.
Whether this was achieved in the Brexit march or not, it sparked for me the sense and I would say deep knowing, that the potential exists and that’s exciting whether that’s in the world of politics, organisational life or societal change.
Thank you for this article. I have had countless discussions regarding the need for women to stay true to their feminine side in leadership. It’s the unique way we look at the world that is critical for change to the better.
I agree Raissa and hopefully the new generation of female leaders will feel confident to do this given how many shifts are taking place at least on a symbolic level with women being appointed into some male strongholds…