Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shaleen Kendrick. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Shaleen, thanks for joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

A Framework for Integrative Living™: Actualizing Adaptive Leadership to Drive Business Resilience and Growth

—

Introducing a cutting-edge Framework for Integrative Living™ designed for the next generation of leaders who are navigating the complexities of a rapidly evolving business landscape. This innovative model actualizes ‘Adaptive Leadership’—defined as the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to change with flexibility and insight—by effectively bringing the concept into practical implementation.

This leadership approach is paired with ‘Integrative Living,’ a holistic method of synchronizing mind, body, and spirit, to shift from knee-jerk reactions to responsive decision-making and resilience. Integrative Living facilitates harmony within individuals and among team members, cultivating well-being and providing essential skills for thriving in today’s ever-evolving world.

Central to this model is the ability of ‘Integrative Living’ to create dynamic balance, enabling both individuals and teams to adapt and flourish amidst conflict and life’s hardships while seamlessly incorporating new insights and challenges into their ongoing development. These uniquely human skills are crucial in a world marked by AI, swift transformations, and uncertain terrain, where the ability to adapt is essential for both survival and success.

This framework’s practical approach, designed to enhance business leaders’ understanding of brain function and human behavior, sets it apart. It is informed by The Neuro-Relational Leadership™ model, which offers tangible social-emotional education that benefits team culture by linking neuroscientific insights with effective interpersonal strategies. This model demystifies complex concepts, making them accessible and applicable to daily operations. It weaves the wisdom of the Enneagram and nurtures meaningful connections among team members to leverage diverse skills and perspectives, enhancing collaboration by replacing destructive conflict with generative conflict.

By understanding how our biology and relationships work together, this approach mitigates workplace inefficiencies and maladaptive behaviors, promoting a productive, harmonious culture. It effectively utilizes the diverse capabilities of team members, ensuring that the collective output is greater than the sum of individual contributions. This leadership style not only improves organizational health but also drives innovation and success by aligning team dynamics with business objectives.

A Framework for Integrative Living™ transforms organizational chaos and rigidity into a well-orchestrated symphony of productivity and innovation. It sets a new standard for leadership and team engagement, emphasizing the importance of flexible and agile decision-making over the pitfalls of dysregulated leaders and teams, who are marked by inflexibility and stuck in outdated paradigms.

This model is more than just a leadership toolkit; it is an essential strategy for leaders determined to create a team culture of flexibility and resilience. Driving success through self-aware, adaptive team members committed to well-being propels organizations into a future where change is managed and harnessed for continuous growth and success. Embracing Framework for Integrative Living™ leads organizations toward sustainable success in the new era of possibility.

—-

Executive Testimonial: Transformative Communication with A Framework for Integrative Living™
I just had the most effective conversation with a co-worker, and it went incredibly well! A significant part of this success was due to my ability to identify where I was on my ’emotional ladder,’ a concept I learned through ‘A Framework for Integrative Living.’ Instead of avoiding my feelings, I embraced them and clearly articulated my needs and boundaries. This approach not only enhanced my communication but also seemed to empower my colleague to express her own needs and boundaries openly.

Thanks to the training, language, and context provided by ‘A Framework for Integrative Living,’ I felt more capable and confident in my role as an employee and executive. I am genuinely thankful for the skills and awareness I’ve gained, which have profoundly improved my professional interactions and leadership. Today, I was undoubtedly a better leader because of it. – Sarah

Shaleen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Greetings,

I’m Shaleen Kendrick, and I stand at the intersection of transformative change and integrative living. With a fervent dedication to human flourishing, I navigate the complexities of today’s world as an executive culture coach, workshop facilitator, author, and passionate speaker.

Interestingly, my professional journey began when I graduated from Arizona State with a vision to impact the world through a conservative expression of Christianity. I was part of a duo that created the first-ever college Young Life program at Arizona State University and helped extend it nationwide…However, life had other plans, and that expression of faith unraveled, leading me into liminal spaces where true growth often unfolds. I found myself in harsh desert spaces, seemingly barren places, often lonely, mad, and afraid.

In these transformative thresholds and a metaphorical desert space, I discovered a kind of desert spirituality—an integrative, contemplative, mystical expression of faith that changed my brain…as in changed my brain structure and thereby changed my neural functions in ways that forever transformed who I am and how I move through the world.

Who knew that there is a place in the brain crucial for empathy and social awarness?! This brain region is the “heart of our brain” and is essential in cultivating feelings of empathy towards those who are suffering or in pain. So much so that when repeatedly activated this part of our brain region grows to promote a greater capacity for empathy and connection, while simultaneously reduces anger and/or fear responses.

I ended up activating this part of my brain while in the desert spaces over and over so that as I emerged from this season of life with an astonishingly greater capacity to SEE and CELEBRATE the interconnectedness and sacredness of all life…

Ultimately, I discovered the desert is, in fact, teeming with life, vibrant and alive, and it is a place that ignites revolutionary action.

Interestingly, I also discovered along the way that the environments we cultivate, both inner and outer atmospheres, shape our mind, body, and spirit at both existential and cellular levels. Apparently, culture really matters.

Driven by a profound desire for connection, change, and wholeness, I have honed my skills as a communication specialist and doctoral candidate. This unique blend of expertise allows me to equip others in how to cultivate grounded, integrative living and navigate the complexities of our rapidly changing landscape with adeptness, resilience, empathy, and social awareness.

Now, as the creator of a cutting-edge interdisciplinary Framework for Integrative Living™, I am dedicated to equipping dynamic leaders from those in Corporate America to small faith communities by helping create cultures wherein all bodies can flourish and bloom into the fullest versions of themselves.

My aim is to contribute to humanity’s forward momentum by fostering holistic well-being and facilitating meaningful connections.

My work provides an innovative framework that actualizes ‘Adaptive Leadership’—the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to change with flexibility and discernment—through effective implementation.

I am maybe most proud that the framework is powered by the groundbreaking Neuro-Relational Leadership™ model that came from my doctoral studies that seamlessly integrates tangible social-emotional education with neuroscientific insights. The framework is additionally enriched by the wisdom of the Enneagram (I am also a certified practitioner) which adds depth and a common language.

In an age defined by unprecedented technological advancement and AI integration, developing uniquely human skills is paramount. This framework transcends conventional approaches by providing individuals and teams with practical, science-based understandings of how to thrive in complexity.

With increased self-awareness, creativity, and adaptive functioning, executives and team members will lead confidently and resiliently, driving organizational success.

I would love to connect to help equip you to create a culture marked by harmony and vitality in the face of uncertainty and change as we enter a new era of possibility.

Thank you for inviting me into this conversation. Together, let’s learn the power of integrative living and adaptive leadership to create a more just, equitable and beautiful world

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

In my journey towards personal and professional growth, I encountered a pivotal shift from authoritarian power dynamics to nurturing power dynamics—a transformation that reshaped not only my approach to leadership but also my understanding of human connections and societal structures.

Initially, I was immersed in environments where power was wielded as a tool of control, characterized by dominance and coercion. Think “the haydays of alpha male corporate leadership,” where strength was measured by one’s ability to disconnect from their emotions and body meet the bottom line and success was your calling card. This model, rooted in the concept of “power over,” emphasized hierarchy and conformity, often fostering environments of fear and compliance. However, as I delved deeper into my exploration of leadership and interpersonal dynamics, I began to question the sustainability and ethical implications of this paradigm.

I also started asking: What is the highest form of power?

My quest for a more authentic and inclusive form of leadership led me to the concept of “power with.” Here, power is not wielded over others but rather cultivated collectively, rooted in collaboration, empathy, and mutual respect. In embracing nurturant power dynamics, I discovered the transformative potential of creating environments where every voice is valued, and every individual is steps into their own personal power to contribute their unique gifts and perspectives.

This shift in perspective not only radically changed me as a human and transformed my leadership style, but it also deeply influenced my approach to cultural and systemic change. I realized that entrenched power dynamics permeate every aspect of society, from organizational structures to societal norms. To effect meaningful change, I had to unlearn ingrained patterns of dominance and instead embrace a paradigm of equity, inclusion, and shared responsibility, where the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

Armed with this newfound understanding, I set out to dismantle systems of oppression and cultivate cultures of belonging and value. Whether it was challenging institutional biases or learning how to stand with marginalized communities, I sought to harness the power of collective action to drive positive change.

Along this journey, I encountered resistance and setbacks, but I remained steadfast in my commitment to nurturant power dynamics (even as I lead with an Enneagram 8 style renowned for its assertiveness and determination.) Despite the challenges, I persevered, recognizing that true strength lies not in dominating others but in shared power where all beings can thrive.

My Enneagram 8 leadership style, characterized by confidence and resilience, became a catalyst for change as I sought to create environments where every voice is heard and valued. I learned from and drew inspiration from visionary leaders and grassroots movements that exemplified the transformative potential of collective action, solidarity, and what it means to be an effective change agent.

Today, as I continue to navigate the complexities of our rapidly changing world, I am guided by the conviction that true power lies not in domination but in collaboration. By cultivating cultures of trust, empathy, and empowerment, we can harness the power of uniquely human skills to navigate uncharted territories with resilience and hope.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I’m struggling to even begin to effectively answer this question! My curiosity knows no bounds, leading me to explore everything from ancient theological texts to alien erotica, and from neuroscience to interpersonal neurobiology.

If I were to break it down, I’ve been deeply impacted by the principles of nonviolent communication, which assert that “radical change happens when we change of our beliefs.” I’ve come to realize that the act of believing, in a verb-based sense, without question, can metaphysically and physically alter us on psychological, philosophical, cellular, and societal levels.

For me, the discovery of Open and Relational Theology, closely linked to Process Philosophy, served as an ideological paradigm shift for me.

I had the privilege of co-founding Desert Voices precisely for this reason: to share resources with the curious. Desert Voices serves as a platform for critical thinking and promotes well-being. It’s an educational podcast aimed at facilitating enlightening conversations with a diverse range of voices.

Critical thinking, in essence, is a mindset that enhances the quality of our thoughts and fosters well-being across various aspects of our lives. As Tchiki Davis puts it, “Well-being is defined as a sense of health and vitality that arises from your thoughts, emotions, actions, and experiences. When we have well-being, we feel happy, healthy, socially connected, and purposeful most of the time. We can improve our well-being by building a certain set of skills.”

I hope to be known as someone dedicated to cultivating that skill set!

If you’re interested, the resource page awaits you with a library of liberating content:
Desert Voices Resource Page
(https://desertvoices.com/)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shaleenkendrick.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desertvoices_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaleenkendrick/

Image Credits
none that I know of