Leadership Lives in the Wilderness of Paradox
Leadership is full of tension. Stability pulls one way. Change pulls the other.
Most leaders try to choose. The wise ones learn to hold both.
Because paradox is not a problem to solve - it is a source of energy to integrate.
Stability creates the safety for bold change.
Change builds the resilience that makes stability real.
When we stop collapsing into either/or, something shifts - in the body, in our relationships, in real-time decisions.
The nervous system settles. Conversations deepen. A third way forward emerges, not about choosing sides, but integrating them.
Paradox shows up everywhere in leadership
These are the tensions I see almost weekly in my work with founders, leadership teams, and change-makers:
Slowing down ⟷ feeling pressured to move fast
Seeing the vision ⟷ empowering others to lead
Giving honest feedback ⟷ nurturing trust & care
Committing to purpose ⟷ meeting profit expectations
Letting go of old success ⟷ stepping into something more true
Being seen as a leader ⟷ feeling internally in transition
This is paradox in motion.
And it cannot be navigated by intellect alone.
It requires the whole human system:
🧠 Head — clear thinking in complexity
❤️ Heart — staying open when it hurts
🌿 Body — grounding & nervous-system regulation
✨ Spirit — remembering what matters most
This is a way of being, a regenerative orientation to leadership, transformation, and life.
It has profoundly changed how I lead, how I partner with organisations, and how I live.
So I am curious: What paradox in your leadership - if held rather than solved - might open a new way forward?
A space to explore this in practice
If this resonates, you are warmly invited to join us:
The Wilderness Leadership Experience
📅 February 8–15, 2026
📍 Kruger, South Africa
An intimate circle of 7 leaders, guided by:
Karen Vickers — biologist, coach & co-founder of a leadership + science centre in Kruger
Samuel Chevallier — ecological storyteller
Keagan Osler — wilderness guide
Christina Peters — regenerative leadership partner
A unique container to step out of the noise and into clarity - to reconnect with yourself, root into purpose, and practice a way of leading that feels whole, grounded, and alive.
The wilderness does not just hold paradox, it lives it: stillness + movement, fragility + power, safety + danger.
So do you. This is your invitation to learn from it. Get in touch if you would like to learn more or develop your leadership to hold paradox.
