In a time of unprecedented global conflict and uncertainty, how do we find the clarity we need to make the most empowered choices?
 

The answer is simple but not easy—because the truth we seek is always inside of us.

The challenge is learning to trust it, to trust ourselves, in a world that would rather we didn't. 

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Three thousand years ago, the words “Know thyself," were inscribed above the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. For the Greeks, self-knowledge was the source of all true wisdom. It's also the foundation of intuitive leadership, the idea that leadership begins within, in connecting to our own intuitive wisdom.
 

First, we must take the time to look inward, to discover who we really are and what really matters to us, to know and trust ourselves. In my experience, the single most effective way to connect to our heart and access our wisdom is to give ourselves the time and space we need to write. It's not academic writing or business writing. It's stream-of-conscious, expressive, intuitive writing. And as we write, the pen becomes funnel, synthesizing the enormity of our experiences into rational, linear language, showing us what we didn’t know we knew—and galvanizing us to act upon it. When we write and share in a group, the group validates and reinforces the strength of each individual. This is what girls need to know and trust themselves, first as individuals and then as leaders.

After 12 years of leading writing-based, intuitive leadership programs for teenage girls, I can tell you unequivocally that the weekly practice of intuitive writing empowers girls to believe in themselves, to understand their values, strengths, and passions, and then to advocate for themselves and others, in joyful alignment with their own values and leadership style. 

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The paradigm of intuitive leadership is rooted in collaboration, compassion, consensus-building, and personal responsibility—qualities that just so happen to be innate to what Dr. Louann Brizendine calls "the female brain." But the goal of intuitive leadership is never to put any one person or group ahead of the other. Like the symbiosis in all natural ecosystems, this kind of leadership creates a non-hierarchical network that supports the unique contributions and authentic voice of each person. It is “power with” instead of “power over,” what Jimi Hendrix referred to as “the power of love overcoming the love of power.” The goal is always a shared one, focused on the health, balance, and well-being of all. True leaders ensure that power is shared, that everyone's voice is heard and every life is equally valued.

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When balanced human beings come together to serve the greater good, great things happen. But without this balance, we fall into chaos. Violence, tyranny, poverty, sickness, and ecological destruction have been the result. Right now, all the qualities most needed for the healing of the planet (and ourselves) can be found in intuitive wisdom of women and girls. At the Intuitive Writing Project, we are dedicated to supporting the next generation of brave, intuitive leaders.