Introduction

I continue to be inspired by the power of capitalism, and I believe that within its DNA is the potential, means, and capacity to lay the foundations for an inspired, harmonious, and symbiotic world in which so many of us can thrive. But if the vision for capitalism has ever been to engender such a world, we have gotten severely, ominously, off-track.

Yet, demonizing capitalism is merely indulgent as well as futile. Over the past century, the economic system has spawned extraordinary benefits for billions of people around the globe. In a world where vilifying profit-seeking and growth has become a fashionable pastime, it's crucial to recognize that profits aren't just the lifeblood of business; they're the pulsating force driving innovation, sustaining livelihoods, and ultimately empowering businesses to serve society.

But the pursuit of profits should not be a myopic endeavor. We must ask ourselves: At what cost do we seek profits and expansion? Must we make a binary choice between economic growth and abundance on the one hand and the well-being of the natural world, our mental and spiritual health, and our joy on the other? Is it necessary to sacrifice one for the sake of the other?

No-absolutely not. It's just that, for too long, we've been suffering from a shortage of vision and an inadequate understanding of ourselves, which have prevented us from seeing how we can have both. And we can.

I believe the vital call of our time is to elevate the consciousness of our global business leaders. Why? Because who better to rein in the damaging practices, re-evaluate the values, and set us on a higher course toward a regenerative future than our business leaders? As economics is arguably the most formidable driving force in today's world, businesses in particular are the power players in our global economic systems. With the resources, creativity, and capacity for innovation, businesses can champion a vital, thriving future for our world. And it's not merely individual businesses that wield this transformative potential; it is the potential of their being an integral part of an interconnected whole. When businesses collaborate and work together, acknowledging their shared responsibility, they have the capacity to address the degradation of conditions that the previous 50 years of profit-driven rational self-interest have created. Like it or hate it, it is the collective business community that is best positioned to resolve the mess we find ourselves in.

So, I welcome you in. Consider this an invitation, perhaps even a provocation. Whether you're at the helm as a CEO or navigating the early stages of managing your first employee, your title is inconsequential. What matters is your commitment to this journey-your quest to broaden and refine not just your leadership role but, fundamentally, yourself. Your presence here signifies an eagerness to evolve.

Thus, together, we stand at the proverbial crossroads. We must decide if today's capitalist paradigm will deliver us to a brighter future or destroy what matters most to us. The responsibility falls on leaders like you. Upgrade your leadership skills, transcend conventional ways of operating, and seek alignment-with your mind, heart, and soul. Embrace integrity as your guiding principle, especially when faced with challenges or temptations to deviate. (Trust me; there will be plenty.) These steps are crucial for solving the challenges we face today-and for ensuring we still have a tomorrow to enjoy at all.

Doing so, however, will require a tectonic shift in our perceptions and values. The insights trickling down from the ivory towers of higher education are insufficient to the monumental task at hand, and the influence absorbed through our cultural and societal biases falls short of fueling a pivot of direction. They simply don't impart the wisdom, methods, and perspectives needed to reverse the addicting and pervasive drive to rack up profits, outperform competitors, and relentlessly grab at power-an outdated definition of "success" that too often still defines our aspirations.

The good news is that there's a growing number of conscious leadership advocates today who are willing to venture into new territory. Many are opting to shift their organizations' visions and move beyond the conventional set of CEO responsibilities that include shareholder returns, profits, and the bottom line. Instead, they are embracing a broader perspective that incorporates more humanistic values.

As formidable as such a task sounds, it is within reach. For years, I have worked with entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and other high performers to ignite their influence and tackle big, hairy problems. By unlocking their feminine intelligence, shedding limiting assumptions, stress-testing ingrained narratives, and answering uncomfortable questions, they rewrote their personal leadership story. They engaged a newfound wholeness that optimized their decision-making, expanded their vision, fueled their creative genius, and allowed them to finally hear and respond to the callings of their hearts. As a result, they have become amplified, elevated, expanded, and more fulfilled than they had ever imagined was possible. They are also fueled with the resolve, strength, and courage they need to lead their organizations as a force for good in the world.

While more leaders seem willing to step up to the plate, it is not enough; it will take many more of us to get to a true inflection point. It will take many leaders-of organizations large and small, current and aspiring-to elevate the status quo of business practices worldwide. To get there, we need to reimagine what leadership is and can be, redefine why businesses exist in the first place, and step into a profound change in how we operate, think, feel, and breathe as leaders ourselves.

To get there, we need you. The call to conscious leadership is not a whisper; it's a clarion call. It seeks global leaders who are ready to step into their power and make a difference.

I repeat: Nothing is more important right now than elevating the consciousness in ourselves as leaders. Leadership, after all, is autobiographical. As we attune to our individual needs and cultivate wholeness within, a remarkable shift occurs. When our egos quiet down, we liberate ourselves from a focus on trivial grievances and limited perspectives. In this ascended state, we rise-aligned, courageous, and expanded-capable of working toward wholeness, not just within ourselves but on an organizational and world scale. This places us in a position of profound responsibility, allowing us to attend to the greater needs of the global economy, humanity at large, and the very planet we call home.

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As a student of economics and politics at New York University, I did not question the premise that the sole purpose of an organization is to make money for its shareholders. At Columbia Law School, I dedicated myself to contributing meaningfully to discussions focused on ensuring the primacy of shareholder interests. I considered myself both prudent and logical, ready to embark on my career in corporate law and to serve "Corporate America" and the values that come with it.

But when I finally arrived at my dream job at a prestigious New York law firm, I was gravely disappointed by its soulless and disassociated culture, and I found I lacked purpose there. The "noble" profession I had envisioned turned out to be anything but. It wasn't until I found the courage to quit focusing on advancing social entrepreneurship that I learned that business can be at the heart of creating social and political change. I finally started to internalize how the societal and cultural values that we build our economy on are broken.

A few years later, I returned to Columbia University to study leadership and psychology. I wanted to understand what makes people tick. I realized that we can't simply transform the system without understanding the person, and we cannot help a person transform without understanding the system within which they live and work. The two are interdependent and intertwined.

After completing my studies, I began to coach startup founders and seasoned executives on how to excel and unlock business impact. I was motivated by helping people dig into their authentic power and shed confining assumptions and perspectives. I wanted my clients to unlock the highest version of themselves, and I soon discovered that their transformation was felt far beyond their personal and professional lives. Once they tapped into the peace and wholeness within themselves, their work resonated far beyond their personal space, bringing appreciable positive change to their organizations, their communities, and beyond.

At the same time, my friend and colleague Jordana Confino and I co-created a course for Fordham Law School in New York that we called "Positive Lawyering." The course applied positive psychology (the study of happiness) principles to the legal industry, guiding students to find their purpose, ignite their passion, and arm them with techniques around mindfulness and resilience so they can succeed, soul intact, in the corporate world. The students learned to recognize and draw from their own feminine intelligence-although we didn't call it that then.

It still astonishes me how much people are afraid of the "feminine," too-whether they're negotiating the word itself or talking about that part of our essential...