The Path of Young Global Leaders
LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE
In the face of heart-breaking challenges, young global leaders need transformative tools that will connect them to their highest purpose, empower them to stand tall in their authentic power, and inspire them to lead with unwavering courage and conviction. Dominated by hyper-rational and analytical thinking, we cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them. This book calls for the integration of “feminine intelligence” into leadership and business, acknowledging the need for intuition, inquiry, and interconnection. Drawing on compelling narratives, business case studies, and profound philosophical insights, Upgrade unveils a world where business becomes a force for good, and leadership is wholehearted and noble. Packed with powerful coaching tools, it illuminates the path for the next era of leadership.
My Inspiration for Writing This Book
One day I awoke. Not from a rest, but from the fog of division and selfishness that has historically guided business decisions and led to the current state of world affairs. Through the guidance of exceptional mentors, my unique life experiences, the transformative power of psychedelics, and my immersive work with influential leaders, I have acquired invaluable lessons in leadership that will challenge the status quo and reset the path we are on.
I want to share what I have learned with you so that together we create a more sustainable future.
I encourage you to open your mind and heart to the interconnectedness of the world and continue your leadership journey with a sense of ownership and urgency needed to repair and renew, starting with you. My aim is to provoke and inspire young global leaders, like you, to embark on a path of self-inquiry and exploration. By delving into the depths of your own being, you can uncover hidden truths, realize your potential, and ignite a ripple effect of positive change.
Together, we can create a world where the leaders of the future are not only driven by external success but also by inner fulfilment and purpose.
This is a book for those who dare to dream, who long for a more beautiful and prosperous world, and who are willing to step into their power and make a difference. You will gain a new sense of personal responsibility and the courage to step into your leadership potential.
Excerpt from chapter one
A Seat At The Table
Faith in Nature is a UK-based startup that makes soaps and other beauty and household items. In 2022, they became the first company in the world to bring someone to the company’s board specifically to speak on behalf of the natural world. With this one simple action—although it took a great effort to get there—the company has effectively done something no one else in the world has done—they have given the Earth a formal vote in company decisions. To this company, nature is deemed as having enough standing and enough meaning to warrant a seat at the table.
This is a momentous act. Keep in mind that, in the U.S., such an action would be considered illegal. U.S. laws require that directors of a corporation abide by fiduciary duties and act in the interests of “shareholder value.” And while there is great debate as to the meaning of “value” in such laws, in the U.S., it is interpreted as referring specifically to shareholder returns. Not surprisingly, that means, once again, that shareholder interests must be prioritized over and above all other stakeholders.
A Spiritual Awakening
Excerpt from chapter TWO
It wasn’t until I returned to Columbia University for my master’s degree in psychology that my journey into expansiveness and awakening truly began. It was there that I had a chance to explore consciousness, spirituality, and psychospiritual states induced by various breathing techniques (some of which were practiced in the university basement, cocooned in a sleeping bag, in the dark, with very loud music!). These experiences sparked my curiosity and prompted me to delve deeper into the therapeutic applications of psychedelic medicines, such as MDMA and LSD, which expanded my mind, body, and spirit even further. As a result, I came to realize that I was a part of a larger collective energy and felt more connected to myself and the world around me.
The culmination of these years of exploration was life changing. I could tune out the chatter, judgment, and limitations of the masculine-infused mindset that previously dominated me. My heart was open. I felt expansion. I uncovered the feminine intelligence inside me. But perhaps just as importantly, the shift inside me drove home the power of congruence. I finally knew the power of having one’s heart, mind, and spirit aligned with one’s purpose. And Iearned that through the power of congruence, authentic leadership “presence” is achieved.
Excerpt from chapter THREE
A Forgotten Gift
To guide us toward a prosperous and healthy global landscape, we must take a look at how the various aspects of ourselves further or impede the realization of our highest visions. As Albert Einstein once said, “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” And a gift it is.
Unfortunately, ours is a culture that chooses to elevate Einstein’s “servant”—the rational, linear, goal-oriented mind—rather than the gift. We are blindly submissive to the rational mind and have learned to close off receptivity to our intuition and imagination, our physical bodies, and our humanity. We’ve been indoctrinated into a masculine mindset and attitude, and we assume that the perspective we’ve been raised with since birth is the only way to go.