Integrated Work CEO Jennifer Lyn Simpson interviews Mark McBride-Wright about the power of leading with kindness.
Blog
Culture
A KOAN Case Study: B Corp Community Leads the Way Toward Better Business
As an organization of individuals who seek to contribute to a better future, Integrated Work is proud to be part of the B Corp community.
JEDI Journey Cards: Prompts, Questions, and Reflections to Help Us Move Toward a More Inclusive, Equitable Future
We designed the JEDI Journey cards to push people to engage deeper in the complexities of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. We know these things take time and the solutions are not readily easy (if they were, would we still be talking about this?). JEDI Journey implies an ongoing process. To borrow from the Bard and nudge the saying a bit – “The journey is the thing!”
Embracing Empathy to HEAL
Organizations, systems, and communities have legacies that can keep us mired in old patterns. The HEAL mantra helps us explore the past with curiosity and care so that we can build a better tomorrow.
The KOAN method in Action: Leading the Way with Kind, Open, Adaptive Networks
Change has begun. It is ours to build. That is the spirit behind the KOAN concept: if we can stay in the discomfort of uncertainty and not-knowing long enough, and with enough curiosity, breakthroughs will find us.
Tragic Maui Wildfires Reinforce the Importance of Resilient, Empathetic Systems
Jennifer recently experienced systemic failure up close when she and her family were evacuated just ahead of the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century in Lahaina, Hawaii. As the tragedy unfolded, Jennifer witnessed the terrifying and tragic results of rigid, non-adaptive systems — and deepened her belief in the importance of the principles of the KOAN method. Here, she shares an account of their experience and ways to support the real and immediate needs of Maui residents.
Being Adaptive in the Moment: Encouraging Flexibility to Find Innovative Solutions
In a dynamic world, when both the challenges and their potential solutions shift and change much faster than any good policy manual can keep up with, it’s much more effective to have a clear direction and guidelines that allow people who are close to the work to make smart choices in the face of dynamic conditions.
Cultivating (K)ind Cultures: Leading with Empathy and Connecting with Trust
Today more than ever, breakthrough leadership is required to unleash the creativity and innovation to solve our most pressing problems. Inspired by decades of experience studying organizations and how they operate, the KOAN method’s guiding principles — Be (K)ind, Be (O)pen, Be (A)daptive, Build a (N)etwork — draw from both ancient wisdom and cutting-edge research to evaluate and evolve how leaders can create the conditions that enable people to move beyond divisions and discover breakthrough solutions.
The Power of CARE: Reflections on Mental Health Awareness Month
During this Mental Health Awareness Month, perhaps the most important thing we can do is understand the prevalence of mental illness. The last few years have been stressful for all of us. For those living with anxiety or depression, or who have experienced extreme isolation, the impacts of the pandemic are more pronounced. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 Americans experience mental illness; for 1 in 20 Americans, that experience is severe.