I spent my 20s living a double life in India.
One saw me work in various management positions in the tech start-up industry, launching products, managing teams, keeping insane hours and making more money than I could spend.
Another path saw me meditating, traveling to meet enlightened masters, exploring eastern mysticism, alternative health, Yoga, Tai chi and higher consciousness.
In the mornings I would read TechCrunch, review use cases and write blog posts. In the evenings I would learn new meditations, dance under the stars, play poi, listen to talks about Taoism, Sufism, Vedic scriptures.
On the weekdays I’d be all yang, training new employees, meeting vendors and partners, filing reports.
On the weekends, I’d be yin, exploring Tantra (pro tip: practice makes perfect), green juices, acupuncture, Reiki and Aura Soma.
By 2009, I had my own social media practice. I was being invited to speak at universities and my blog was widely consumed.
But I felt conflicted, torn and inauthentic. I resented not being able to bring my spiritual, feminine, intuitive, creative self to work everyday.
And then one fine morning in 2009, the Universe figured it all out for me. I was at yoga class, perfecting my ardha chandrasanaasana (half moon) when a sharp shooting pain in my abdomen landed me in the hospital.
Gigantic fibroids. You know where they grow? In and around the uterus. The most feminine aspect of my body – my womb.
Talk about blocking feminine energy.
I knew then things had to change. I couldn’t – and wouldn’t – leave feminine aspects of myself at the office door in order to thrive at work. There had to be a way of incorporating the feminine into leadership positions.
This is why I do what I do today.
There IS a way for women to create, work and thrive at work without compromising on their health, relationships or peace of mind.
The world needs feminine leadership more than ever.
Here are the qualities of feminine leadership:
Generosity
I encourage my clients to start with sharing and giving their energy and time generously before they do anything else. This moves us into your heart center, always a good place to operate from. This quality keeps the flow of energy moving as we give and receive easily and generously. Win-win.
Vulnerability
Feminine leadership isn’t about separation. It’s about leading with all our limitations. We have to reveal our human, mistake-making side in order to motivate and drive everyone forward. another key is asking for and receiving support. This creates real connection, empathy and a sense of oneness.
Intuition and Instinct
So you just know and don’t know how or why? Learn to trust and incorporate that into your life and business more and more. Our intuition is a powerful gift and one that has cost us and the planet dearly. Similarly a woman’s instinct – which develops from a deep and loving connection with her body – also serves her well as a leader.
Collaboration
Real women leaders are crystal clear that collaboration trumps competition. In fact they understand that there is no such thing as competition given everyone’s unique, authentic style of business-building and leadership. Believing there’s enough for everyone is another mindset shift of a true feminine leader.
Wholistic Thinking
We as people and the planet have suffered tremendously from the traditional short-sighted approach to business and profits. It’s time to take a more holistic approach where we consider the impact of our business choices on our children and the planet and on each other’s wellbeing. The feminine, being all inclusive, takes the big-picture into account when building and creating. This is much needed.
In my 4-week course Your Time is Your Life, we dive into one of the most crucial aspects of feminine leadership: managing our time and personal energy. This course is a combination of yin and yang concepts and weaves the energetic and spiritual with the practical to create a pathway of effortless productivity in your life and business. Check it out if you’re guided.
In the comments, share what qualities are important to feminine leadership.