What Does it Mean to Be an Integrated Leader?

By Kristen Fragnoli 

The world has shifted, business models have shifted, and for many of us, our perspective on life and work has shifted. In a fragmented, distracted and often divided world, leaders are challenged to show up with empathy, flexibility, innovation and conscious connection; this is only possible if the leader can show up as whole, balanced, aware and connected – they must be an integrated leader.

• Integrated = characterized by unity, organized into a harmonious whole, cohesive
• Disintegrated = fragmented, lacking cohesion, characterized by disconnection

Gone are the days of lone-ranger, power-over, leave-your-life-at-the-office-door leadership. We flourish when we are equipped with practices that help us to be whole, healed, vital and authentic people empowered to bring strengths, skills and unique perspectives to the table -when we know how to be full, integrated humans. While many have “awakened” to an urgent understanding that old models of leadership no longer serve us, we may still need new “how-to” practices to shift us out of old patterns and into new ways of working and living.

One exercise that can catalyze needed shifts is the process of building a “Portfolio for Flourishing.”© Just as a diversified financial portfolio creates stability and protection from risk, a portfolio of personal and professional practices from which you and your team can resource yourselves, creates clarity about where shifts are needed and offers actionable steps to make change. Through this process, you’re invited to experiment with and develop practices in eight broad areas that can be applied personally and in teams.

• Self-Awareness
• Body Connection
• Contribution
• Relationship
• The Greater-Than
• Learning
• Creativity
• Agency

When we develop a diversified portfolio of supportive practices that arise from diverse sources, we can gird ourselves against difficulty and move from survive to thrive. When we have more tools in our toolbox, we can handle challenges with nuance and vitality and support others to do the same. When we can organize a broad array of practices into a harmonious whole, we become more integrated and cohesive and move away from fragmentation, distraction and disconnection.

Start by considering what practices you use or lack in each of these areas; begin the process of inventorying your current strengths, resources and capacities and discovering those places where new practices and “investment” may be beneficial to you or your team to be the most whole, integrated and flourishing human leaders as possible.

Kristen Fragnoli is an ICF certified Executive Coach who thrives when helping leaders be the most authentic, human versions of themselves as possible. She supports clients in building their “Portfolio for Flourishing” and is a partner for growth and change so that clients can be the leader of their own lives. Find her at www.KristenFragnoli.com She is facilitating an intro conversation on this topic on July 20, 2022 at 12:00pm. Register for the event on our Events Page!