088: The Power of Holding Space: Leading Through Liminal Space and Workplace Change with Heather Plett

Evolve: A New Era of Leadership

In this episode of Evolve: A New Era of Leadership, I’m joined by Heather Plett, author of the award-winning book The Art of Holding Space: A Practice of Love, Liberation, and Leadership. Heather shares her deep insights on the powerful practice of holding space, its transformative impact on leadership, and the evolving needs of leaders in today’s world.

Heather discusses how holding space is a key leadership competency that fosters personal and organizational transformation. From her extensive experience as a facilitator and co-founder of the Centre for Holding Space, Heather explains how leaders can integrate this practice into their work to foster healing, growth, and more authentic leadership approaches.

🔑 Key Themes & Takeaways:

• The Practice of Holding Space: Heather defines holding space as walking alongside someone without judgment, fixing, or directing them. She emphasizes that it’s primarily an internal practice of managing one's emotions and reactions to support others effectively. 🧘‍♀️

• Liminal Space: The conversation delves into liminal space, which is the space between one story and the next. Heather compares this to a caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly, encouraging leaders to honor transitions and allow space for personal and organizational evolution. 🦋

• Brave Space vs Safe Space: Heather challenges the notion of creating entirely “safe spaces” in leadership and instead advocates for “brave spaces” that invite discomfort and growth while still providing support and security. 🌱

• Emotional Maturity in Leadership: Heather discusses the importance of emotional maturity, vulnerability, and trauma-informed leadership as critical competencies for leaders today. She stresses that leaders must evolve from patriarchal, hierarchical models to those that foster collaboration, compassion, and transformation. 💡

• Co-Regulation and Support Systems: Heather highlights the importance of leaders having support systems and co-regulation strategies in place to manage the stress and emotional challenges that come with leadership roles. 🌳

We talk about:

• 00:00 Intro

• 05:08 The Intersection of Leadership and Healing

• 07:41 Challenges in Modern Leadership

• 10:15 The Importance of Emotional Maturity

• 20:09 The Concept of Holding Space

• 28:43 The Role of Leaders as Shock Absorbers

• 32:21 Introducing the Concept of Liminal Space

• 35:03 Liminal Space in the Workplace

• 37:34 Practical Steps for Leaders

• 49:59 Conclusion and Call to Action

#HoldingSpace #LiminalSpace #BraveLeadership #EmotionalMaturity #LeadershipTransformation

Connect with Heather

• https://heatherplett.com/

Connect with me

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolynswora/

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• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynswora/

• Website: https://www.carolynswora.com/

• Contact: [e-mail]