Philosophy

Our approach is based on building healthier, more equitable and sustainable relationships with ourselves and the world around us by connecting to a deep sense of who we are as opposed to who we believe we should be. The aim at Anima Leadership is to promote Aligned Personal Functioning (APF) where what we think, how we feel, what we say and how we act are integrated and in alignment, both in our personal and professional lives. We feel this is a profoundly hopeful approach that encourages and challenges all of us to engage in processes of learning, as well as unlearning, in order to tap our source of personal wisdom and collective strength.

At Anima Leadership, we strive to balance:

Intellect and Emotion

Anima’s approach is based on the idea that our emotions as well as our intellect are a reservoir of valuable insight and knowledge, that truly visionary leadership emerges from tapping into both of these inner resources. The problem in contemporary Western society is that the cognitive, rational “thinking” part of who we are is over-valued at the expense of the emotional, creative, “feeling” part of ourselves. At Anima Leadership we attempt to balance intellectual knowledge with emotional intelligence (or EQ). In fact, emotional intelligence has been rated the single most important factor to leadership success across industries, more important than knowledge or IQ¹. In re-balancing body, mind and spirit, we strive to nurture powerful leaders who are capable of “Aligned Personal Functioning,” where there is consistency between what leaders think, feel, say and, ultimately, do. At Anima, this is what it means to lead with integrity.

Masculine and Feminine

Effective and powerful leadership requires bringing our whole Selves into the picture, integrating both the masculine and feminine elements of our beings. Currently, industrialized societies and organizations are structured so that hierarchy, rationality, competitiveness and leadership from the top – masculine principles - are valued more greatly than empathy, emotional-awareness, collaboration and relationship-building – considered more feminine. In systems where the masculine principle dominates, both male and female leaders vastly limit their effectiveness and ability to problem-solve due to overvaluing one half of who they are at the expense of the other. At Anima Leadership, we strive to balance both masculine and feminine principles, offering leaders, regardless of gender, more information, skills and ultimately, more choice in dealing with complex leadership issues and situations. Scientific research indicates that self-awareness, empathy, and relationship building – Anima Leadership’s training strengths - are the most foundational leadership skills and competencies².

Individual and Collective

At this point in history more than ever before, we need visionary leadership that can balance individual and collective needs. Conflicts are escalating in our post-9/11 world for many reasons including hunger, poverty, racial segregation, pollution and natural resource depletion. Transforming these conflicts starts on the individual level by recognizing our increasing global interdependence. We believe that as each person finds their inherent purpose, they benefit not just themselves but also the broader communities of which they are a part. Secondly, we believe that in organizational contexts, individuals and teams work most effectively and creatively in inclusive environments, where support and openness are coupled with the ability to have difficult conversations and make powerful decisions with integrity. At Anima Leadership, we specialize in developing processes that build this sense of inclusion, balancing individual and collective needs.

• ¹ Goleman, Daniel. Primal Leadership (2002).
• ² Short, Ron. Learning in Relationship (1998).