The Evolved Executive

About the Author

Heather Hanson Wickman, Ph.D., successfully climbed the corporate ladder in healthcare before charting a new path to support senior leaders in evolving their leadership and building soulful organizations. She specializes in organizational change and executive coaching, through which she has coached leaders on evolved business practices, deep self-awareness, and leadership development.

Main Idea

"The Evolved Executive: The Future of Work Is Love in Action" by Heather Hanson Wickman, Ph.D., advocates for a transformation in leadership and organizational culture from a foundation of fear and control to one of love, service, and human connection. Wickman emphasizes that evolved executives can bring significant performance improvements and deeper meaning to their organizations by embracing love-based practices.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Evolution: A Way Forward
3. Leading with Love
4. Leading to Serve
5. Leadership Beliefs and Consciousness
6. Horizontal and Vertical Learning
7. Mindset
8. Leadership Practices
9. Cultivating Values
10. Defining Purpose
11. Healing the Organization
12. Servant Leadership and Healing
13. New Roles, New Conversations
14. Dare to Be Different

Introduction

Wickman introduces the concept that organizations are on the cusp of massive change and need adaptable leaders capable of moving them forward. She argues that traditional leadership models, focused on command and control, are becoming obsolete in favor of those that emphasize human connection, purpose, and adaptability.

"Organizations need evolved leaders who have developed beyond the needs of command and control management, who can take an honest look in the mirror and recognize that they first must be the change, and who can genuinely foster love, care, and humanness in the workplace." - Heather Hanson Wickman

Evolution: A Way Forward

Organizations need leaders who can evolve beyond fear-based management and embrace love as a guiding principle. This evolution requires leaders to challenge long-held beliefs and practices, fostering an environment where people feel safe, valued, and empowered.

"The hard lines between leaders and workers, thinkers and doers, are becoming an active hindrance to success." - Heather Hanson Wickman

Wickman asserts that the shift from fear to love is not merely an emotional change but a strategic one. In a world that moves in more volatile and unpredictable ways, adaptable and love-driven leadership becomes essential. This evolution enables organizations to thrive, showing significant performance improvement while bringing purpose, meaning, and human connection to their employees and communities.

Leading with Love

Choosing to lead with love rather than fear creates a more open, transparent, and aligned organization. Love-based leadership encourages honest communication, personal growth, and collective success.

"In a love-based organization, people feel safe to share information widely, provide open and honest feedback, stretch and grow themselves personally and pull together for the benefit of the entire organization." - Heather Hanson Wickman

In a love-based organization, the atmosphere is vastly different from one driven by fear. People feel safe, valued, and are more likely to contribute their full potential. This approach results in increased innovation, better problem-solving, and a stronger sense of community within the organization.

• Decurion's developmental culture: Decurion holds a core belief that investing in the development of people means investing in the future of the business. Their successful results are a testament to their commitment to their employees.
• Safe space for growth and feedback: Love-based leadership creates an environment where employees feel safe to provide feedback and grow personally and professionally.

Leading to Serve

The evolved executive focuses on the growth and potential of their team, embodying traits such as authenticity, humility, compassion, and courage. This approach fosters a culture of service and care, leading to higher engagement and well-being.