Collective Wisdom

Leadership Circle

Tackling big challenges and wishes together

Leadership doesn't have to look like this. . .

Leadership can be lonely... it doesn't have to be. Each year, I hold space for one circle of eight exceptional, passionate, visionary leaders. We will sustain you, celebrate your wins, and fail forward with you so that you can thrive as a leader, not just survive.

"This group has provided so much support to believe in myself and the opportunity to offer support to others struggling with the same issues I have been struggling with. Many of the lessons will be forever lessons."

~ Sara Sundquist, Coordinator, Shasta County Public Health

Let’s make sure this leadership circle is for you

Are you someone who…

Considers your over-achieverism and perfectionism to be both a blessing and a curse.

Is ambitious, passionate, and driven, but struggles to do the important when the urgent is pressing.

Has an exciting, important, daunting professional challenge or wish for 2024. (Perhaps a new role, a new project, raise $1M, finally create work-life balance… If it’s fuzzy, apply for a complmentary call with me and we’ll explore together.)

Considers yourself a servant leader, but tends to give away time and energy to others, leaving not enough for yourself.

Is confident in some leadership areas or settings, but not all, or not when stressed.

Is a mid-career professional actively leading a team or supporting other leaders, but the weight of responsibility sometimes feels heavy and overwhelming.

Whole-heartedly embrace new experiences and being lovingly challenged.

If this sounds like you, then you're in the right place!

Welcome!

APPLY HERE

VISION

Live into your purpose and calling. Clarify your values. Make progress towards a professional goal that matters most to you

SKILLS

Learn the skills required for exceptional servant leadership such as navigating risk, uncertainty, change, difficult conversations, and conflict.

STRATEGY

Align your goals with strategy and action so that they become reality. Identify and harness the greatest strengths of everyone on your team so that your organization can do shining, impossible things.

CONFIDENCE

Overcome the inner critics and monsters that stand in your way. Find your voice so that you can inspire and motivate your team. With confidence you can better influence your boss, your board, and those you serve.

CAPACITY

You can't pour from an empty cup. Create healthy boundaries. Develop stress resilience. Manage your energy, not your time. With capacity comes inner peace and spaciousness.

SUPPORT

With a mastermind group at your back, leadership doesn't have to feel lonely. Here, you will be valued, seen, supported, and embraced for the messy miracle of a human you are.

What Members Gain

Amy Frydenlund - Director of Instruction

I was overwhelmed and stressed, having a hard time making decisions, even the simplest ones, like where to go for a walk. You create a space that is inviting and rich and I trust your skillful lead. Working with (you) Irene has given me myself... It's not that you or the class content has all of the answers, it's more that it opens the doors and window and gates to better find your own answers. This work with Irene, made it feel easier to find and be me - wonderful and powerful, flawed and unique, and complete.

~ Kara Tupy, K-8 Director

I was at a point in my career where I honestly didn't know if I was going to be able to keep on. I was more than burned out. I was disillusioned and felt trapped. When I met with Irene for the first time, I felt an instant connection with her generous, authentic way of being. She brings together three very powerful things. First, she has that special gift of being able to help you find answers to your own questions; recognizing the wisdom within each individual. She has a knack for curating resources that allow you to reach your goals, and go deeper, faster. And she's an incredible ally. All of this combined to open up an avenue for me to begin dreaming again.

~ Jen Shyu, Guggenheim Fellow and Doris Duke Artist

Because my work is my passion as well (as an artist), I found it difficult to manage my time and energy not only in my personal art making but also the organization I run that empowers other artists. After each meeting with you Irene, and the rest of the group, my co-founder and I always had so many ideas, ranging from the structure of our own meetings with our artists, how to engage on Zoom and online, to bigger, more philosophical ideas. Irene, you have been such a supportive and incredible inspiration and leader, and I am just so impressed with how productive and nourishing the program has been with you.

~ Amy Toll, Literacy Leader

It has been almost 6 months since I started working with Irene, and truth be told it was the best decision I have ever made. Not only have I grown as a professional, but I’ve also grown in my personal life as well. Now I know my worth, I feel like could lead an army of teachers to find their own passions. This has been a life-changing experience that I wish I could recommend for every leader that feels insecure, that feels like they are an imposter, this program is for you!

The Nitty Gritty

This curated group of four to eight experienced leaders will meet for 90 minutes on Zoom every other week for six months. The first month is more intensive (with three meetings instead of two) in order to clarify our purpose, goals, vision, and what's getting in the way. After that, the bulk of the time will be devoted to learning from one another's collective wisdom.

What's collective wisdom? Glad you asked!

Each session begins with a brief centering practice followed by a short leadership skill-building lesson. Centering practices grow stress resilience and rewire our nervous systems over time. Leadership-skill building lessons add practical tools and concepts to your toolbox drawn from research-backed best practices.

Then, one by one, we'll check in and share whatever wish or challenge is most present right now, and whether or not additional wisdom would help. (Sometimes, sharing aloud is enough.) Those who want support receive coaching in the moment or wisdom from the group.

We've tackled issues including:

Stepping into a new role
Cultivating donor relationships
Launching a charter school/new business/new department
Giving and receiving feedback
Speaking with confidence in any room
Juggling an overwhelming to do list
Getting a team to row together towards a common goal
Managing difficult employees
Managing difficult bosses
Carving out time for creativity, loved ones, and self-care
Word-smithing a mission statement or marketing material
Managing emotions personally and professionally

There’s hundreds of years of professional and personal experience in the room. What couldn’t we solve if we put our brilliant minds together? That’s collective wisdom.

In addition, you'll receive a welcome gift, TWO private coaching sessions, free books, office hours, guest speakers, and a really special closing session.

This is a curated, small group program for up to eight exceptional leaders. Those enrolled in Collective Wisdom can add on six extra private coaching sessions (that's in addition to the two private sessions already included) to be used anytime in 2024 for a rate well below what I charge my one-on-one clients.
We meet on Zoom 90 minutes every other week, for a total of 6 months. Since everyone is a busy leader, our meeting times will be determined based on the schedules of those selected to be in the group. Typically, meeting times will be early morning or late afternoon Pacific Time so the majority of the work day is free to support your organization and your team.
Think of it as your very own think tank of powerful leaders. Irene meticulously curates the group so that everyone shares common challenges and experiences. As each member moves toward their big challenge or wish, the collective wisdom in the group is there for you to draw upon. Irene might coach an individual or ask everyone in the group to offer their best advice. If there's an obvious theme across individuals, Irene will facilitate a group discussion. Always, the goal is to help one another overcome obstacles, grow ourselves as leaders, support our teams, and build our dreams.
The first month is more intensive with three structured sessions in a row to create a container for the group. We will get to know one another, establish our values, set clear goals and milestones, and explore the obstacles in our way.

The middle sessions begin with a centering practice, include an evidence-based leadership strategy, and devote the majority of the time to collective wisdom.

The last session contains a celebratory surprise.
We launch three weeks after four members have paid in full (probably in April?). Participants who have paid in full are invited to 1 hour group calls every other week from the time they paid until the group formally begins. That means, the first person to enroll gets 1:1 coaching, and then, small group coaching for several weeks until the circle is full!
We're all busy leaders, and things will come up that make it impossible to attend. We get it. All sessions will be recorded and made available to watch later. However, the power of a mastermind is in the collective. The expectation is that you will give just as much as you get, maybe more. We will make every effort to schedule meetings for times that are convenient for you. In return, please hold our meeting times sacred to the best of your ability and be fully present and engaged while you are there.
Absolutely! You will have access to Irene and the circle via email, text, and/or phone in between meetings. There are office hours once a month for drop in support. You will receive two private coaching sessions. And we will create a folder in Google Drive to share resources.
There will be a total of 14 official meetings: 3 the first month, then every other week thereafter. However, I strongly believe that vacations are essential to a leader's long-term health and wellbeing. Thus, we will compare calendars and identify the weeks when most members are taking time off and schedule around them. Thus, the 14 sessions will likely extend across 7-8 months, ideally with our final celebration taking place before Thanksgiving.
I am not going to lie. This circle will represent an investment of money, time, and energy comparable to attending two or three out of town conferences (with associated registration, flights, hotel, and meal costs). Most conferences offer a ton of industry specific wisdom, but lack leadership development. What is self-confidence worth to you? What's the value of genuine, potentially lifelong support (some cohorts continue to meet for years)? What price would you pay for real work-life balance? How much would you invest in seeing your dream come to fruition? If this kind of support is what you need as a leader right now, please apply. Hopefully, your organization will invest in your development. If not, let's put our brains together, get creative, and explore the possibilities.
Apply HERE.

If it looks like a good fit on paper, you will be invited to a 1:1 call where we will solidify the big challenge or wish you plan to achieve in 2024 and where you can ask all your questions.

FAQs