Our World is Crying out for a New Style of Leadership
Hello, I want to speak about leadership, because it’s March 2026, the world has seen another outbreak of war disrupted many people’s lives across the planet. And I think the world is calling for a new kind of leadership. And I want to explore this.
My name is Carlos. I’ve been studying Evocative Leadership for a number of years now and training people in this. And I feel that the old style of leadership is self centred. It’s people who are convinced and confident. They’re projecting confidence. They’re projecting the idea that they know what we need to do, and somehow they’re convincing a lot of people to come along with them, to support them.
And it’s a it’s a kind of willpower. It’s a kind of ‘power over’ instead of ‘power from within’. And we’ve seen it throughout history, many, many examples, and currently in the world, it’s very prevalent still,.
But there is a new kind of leadership that is emerging which is much more relational, much more holistic, much more about our relationship with all of life, not just even the humans, but also with the planet, with the plants, the animals, and it’s seeing what is for the benefit of the whole.
So a number of qualities, I would say first one to mention benevolence. There’s a sense of wanting the well being of the whole. There’s a sense of strictness about this. So sometimes we have to say ‘no’ to things and be clear about which way we’re moving.
There’s a courage to come from the heart, to stand for life. And there’s a wisdom allowing the deep wisdom to emerge from within.
And there’s a sincerity in our heart, from the leader of the future. There’s a leader that is also ‘evoking leadership’ in others. So it’s a kind of self leadership that is respectful of other people, rather than trying to dominate other people, but calling forth the unique genius of all people.
So this is the kind of leadership that we’re called for. And it’s a circular way. I work with a model, a circular model, the Medicine Wheel, an ancient symbol of wholeness and of relationship, in which we see our relationship with all of life. It’s not a pyramid with somebody at the pinnacle dictating to others. So there’s a circular, rotating kind of leadership.
Over the next few weeks, I want to create some videos and blog posts exploring different aspects of this, because in the medicine wheel, we can see eight different intelligences which inform our leadership and which powerful leader, life affirming leadership will draw from all these sources of wisdom, of intelligence, and I want to explore each of those in turn.
I’d love to explore that with you. If you have comments on this, love to hear from from you about that. Thank you for watching this introductory video. I’m going to make some more very soon.
FAQs
What is evocative leadership and how is it different from traditional leadership?
Evocative leadership is a relational, life-affirming approach to leadership based on calling forward the highest capacities in the self and in the field of people around us. Unlike traditional, hierarchical models that rely on “power over”, evocative leadership is holistic and collaborative, emphasizing our relationship with all of life – including people, communities, and the planet.
Why does the world need a new style of leadership now?
In a time of global crises, conflict, and ecological disruption, old leadership styles that are self-centred and driven by willpower are no longer sufficient. The world needs a new style of leadership that is ethical, heart-led, and inclusive, one that can respond to complexity with inner wisdom, relational awareness, and a commitment to the well-being of the whole, not just the success of a few.
What is the Medicine Wheel model of leadership?
The Medicine Wheel is an ancient symbol of wholeness, balance, and relationship that Carlos uses as a circular model of leadership. Instead of a pyramid with one person at the top, it represents circular, rotating leadership informed by eight different intelligences. These intelligences offer diverse sources of wisdom that help leaders cultivate evocative, life-affirming leadership, grounded in respect for people, nature, and the wider web of life.
