It’s Not a Trend. It’s a Remembering.

The systems we’ve build no longer feel human.

Let's cut the corporate speak for a minute.

We've been told to lead like machines, think like spreadsheets, and hustle like our worth depends on it. Spoiler alert: It doesn't.

But here we are. Burned out. Numbed out. Moving through workdays like we're sleepwalking through someone else's nightmare. And the "solution" from leadership? More resilience training. More productivity hacks. More ways to fix you instead of fixing the broken system.

If burnout's the norm, maybe it's not the people who are broken. Maybe it's the system!

What's Really Happening (Beneath All the Noise)

While big tech bros double down on toxic masculinity and political leaders play divide-and-conquer like it's a sport, something else is stirring. Something they can't monetize or manipulate.

We're remembering an intelligence we never actually lost. We just got really good at pretending it didn't matter.

I've lived this, too. There was a time I could out-hustle, out-perform, and out-burnout anyone in the room. Look where that got me? Flatlined (the day I said, "I quit!") and questioning everything (Who am I? What do I do?).

Turns out, there's another way. And it's been here all along.

The Intelligence They Don't Want You to Remember

There's a way of knowing that reads between the lines. That senses what's unspoken. That knows when to pause instead of push, when to collaborate instead of compete, when to trust the process instead of forcing the outcome.

Ancient cultures called it feminine intelligence. Not because it belongs to women, but because it flows like water: adaptive, persistent, life-giving. And just like water, it's been underestimated for way too long.

They say "soft" like it's an insult. Last I checked, water carved the Grand Canyon. Maybe softness is exactly what reshapes the future.

This isn't your left brain versus right brain. This isn't woo-woo versus strategy. This is about remembering that you have access to more intelligence than you've been told to use.

As Cynthia Bourgeault puts it: "Unlike the egoic operating system, the heart does not perceive through differentiation… Rather, it perceives by means of harmony... where they will discover the resources they need to live in fearlessness, coherence, and compassion - or in other words, as true human beings."

Translation? Your heart is smarter than your hustle. Always has been.

What This Actually Looks Like in Practice

Here's the thing. The companies quietly thriving aren't waiting for permission to operate differently. They're experimenting while everyone else is still arguing about quarterly targets.

Meeting Revolution. One leader I know starts every meeting with "What's alive in the room right now?" instead of diving into the agenda. Her team consistently surfaces issues that would've derailed projects later. Revolutionary? Hardly. Effective? Absolutely. 

Strategic Sensing. At the start of our work with one of my business consulting clients, he said "I don't have manufactured deadlines. We'll do this work at a pace that doesn't overwhelm my staff while avoiding unnecessary delays." Brilliant!

Conflict Navigation. When two teams were at each other's throats, instead of mandating a solution, I slowed things down. Got curious. Asked better questions. They found a collaborative solution that was better than anything I could've imposed. Imagine that.

Human-Centered Performance. A client recently shared that when one of his team members hit a rough patch, he offered paid time off to process and heal. Not because he's soft, but because he understands that whole humans do better work than broken ones pretending to be fine.

These approaches see better retention, faster problem-solving, and teams that actually want to show up. Who knew treating people like humans would be good for business?

The Path Forward (No Revolution Required)

Look, I'm not suggesting we burn down capitalism tomorrow (though some days...). This is about composting outdated practices into fertile ground for what's emerging.

The evolution is already happening.

Decision-making is shifting from "CEO knows all" to collaborative frameworks where the best ideas actually surface.

Meetings are becoming spaces for real dialogue instead of one-way performance presentations.

Performance reviews are peer-based growth conversations asking, "What support do you need?" instead of top-down evaluations listing everything you're doing wrong.

These aren't massive overhauls. They're intelligent experiments that create immediate shifts in how work feels.

A North Star We’ve Always Known

Here's what gets me. We're not inventing something new. We're remembering something ancient.

Indigenous cultures and wisdom traditions talk about times when people lived in actual harmony—with each other, with the earth, without the soul-crushing hierarchies we've normalized. People trusted that everyone had wisdom to contribute. Revolutionary concept, right?

Fast-forward to today. We've become so obsessed with systems and structures that we're moving like robots, completely disconnected from our inner knowing. We've outsourced our wisdom to external authorities who tell us what we need and how to do it.

But what's emerging—what's calling us back—is a return to those harmony-based principles with a modern twist. Imagine companies where community actually matters. Where we work with the planet instead of against it. Where decisions emerge from collective wisdom instead of being handed down from the top.

The bridge? This remembering. This choice to integrate the intelligence we've been told doesn't belong in boardrooms or meeting rooms.

I write primarily to women because they get it immediately. It's like watching someone remember their own name after years of being called something else. There's recognition, relief, and often tears.

But here's the twist. Many of the leaders I've shared examples of in this blog are men who are already embracing this intelligence. They're proving this isn't about gender. It's about all of us remembering our full range of human capabilities.

The difference? Women have been developing these skills in the margins for decades. They’ve been told they were "too soft" for business. Turns out, they were just ahead of the curve. They're the early adopters who can model this integration for everyone else.

Your Invitation (No Dramatic Overhaul Required)

This isn't about becoming someone you're not. It's about remembering who you've always been underneath all the conditioning.

This week, just notice. Notice when you pause instead of push. When you sense what's unsaid. When your leadership comes from wholeness instead of hustle.

That's your remembering. That's your intelligence coming online.

Start trusting it. Start naming it. Start leading from it.

Because honestly? The world's tired of leaders who think like spreadsheets. We're ready for leaders who remember they're human.

It's not a trend. It's a remembering.