Embracing a New Approach to Leadership : Lessons from the “Women and Power” Weekend
Having immersed myself in the transformative words of Elizabeth Lesser's book, Cassandra Speaks, I found myself drawn to explore the realm of women and power at the conference, "Heads Together, Hearts Forward," at the Omega Institute.
Elizabeth Lesser's narrative challenged the traditional stories that often cast blame on women, like the age-old tale of Adam and Eve. Instead of blaming the woman for eating the forbidden fruit, Elizabeth views Eve as the heroine who consciously chooses to grow up and move on! These insights prompted a fresh perspective that women can reclaim power by crafting narratives that transcend destructive elements and highlight values such as growth, collaboration, and transparency.
The central question echoing through the conference was, "How do we break free from black-and-white thinking that confines our options and connections?" Women and power, as explored in the workshop, aimed to be inclusive. Elizabeth set the tone with a powerful mantra, "Do no harm and take no shit," emphasizing a balance between standing one's ground and being open to other’s views. This resonated deeply, urging us to reimagine power as something more encompassing, far beyond mere control.
The event unfolded with an interview featuring Shabana Basji-Rasikh, a courageous woman who founded the only boarding school for girls in Afghanistan, challenging the illegality of educating girls in her country. Her journey, including an escape from Afghanistan with 200 girls, highlighted the transformative power of education in countering terrorism. The evening concluded with Haleh Liza Gafori's soul-stirring rendition of Rumi's poetry, leaving us with the question, "Whatever the way of the worlds, what fruits do you bring?"
Saturday delved into “the stories we carry,” unraveling the challenge many women face in embracing power comfortably. Recognizing the need to break free from limiting beliefs, we explored reframing our stories, often requires a process of mourning losses. A panel of resilient women shared their journeys of reframing traumatic stories to create positive change. These inspiring women included Loung Ung, who escaped the Pol Pot regime, and Hannah Drake, an activist, and poet who garnered a lot of attention when her poem, "All You Had to Do Was Play the Game, Boy," was read at the 2019 Superbowl, and Ester Armah who runs an organization focused on emotional justice. Ester's profound insight into "unsaid stories'' resonated most with me, emphasizing the importance of unearthing silenced narratives for proper healing.
Ester's declaration, "We can't treat the trauma until we unearth the unsaid stories," underscored the conference's overarching message: to be powerful, one must confront uncomfortable truths and carry the emotional burden collectively. This realization became a guiding principle for those of us committed to empowering women.
After the weighty discussions, I immersed myself in the lightness of Rumi's poetry with Haleh on Saturday afternoon. Amidst the pouring rain, Rumi's words became a soothing balm, offering a new perspective on self-reflection and inner battles. As we embraced the power of silence, Rumi's words echoed, "In silence, we hear the body become spirit."
The conference concluded with a reflective session, posing Rumi's question, "Whatever the world, what fruits do we bring?" It dawned on me that, as a leadership coach, my commitment lies in fostering compassion and collaboration with women leaders to help them uncover and reframe stories that hold them back. The workshop left me with a renewed sense of purpose, a deep appreciation for the transformative power of storytelling, and a friendly reminder to read more poetry to lighten up!