What the world needs now...

Society and organizational life have long been dominated by the Masculine Principle – the get-it-done energy that builds cities and puts satellites into space, and the structures that keep trains running on time. But too much Masculine energy is problematic.  

But with the world suffering from "results" that nobody wants – war, climate change, environmental destruction, inequality, etc. – it's clear that we are in desperate need of rebalancing. To create a world that works for everyone, we must bring the Masculine Principle into balance with the Feminine Principle. 

The good news is that this is already beginning to happen in some ways. The emerging post-modern paradigm is more caring, inclusive and connected – More Feminine – than the previous traditional and modern paradigms. 

And, we are not there yet. As the entrenched patriarchal paradigm tries to hold on to power, we are seeing a major backlash happening now.  

Many organizations have been working for years -- even decades! -- to correct this imbalance, but they have failed to produce breakthrough results. That's because they don't recognize an important truth: External circumstances are a reflection of internal consciousness and culture. To change our systems, we must first change our hearts and minds, and then learn to embody new ways of leading.

Women are called to lead the way.

There is so much work to be done. Women are called to light the way through the darkness of unconscious greed, separation, hate and violence. We are needed to midwife the birth of a new world that honors All of Life. 

Here's the secret: If we hope to create balance in our world, we must embody that balance within ourselves. To amplify the power of Feminine wisdom in our organizations and the world, we must first claim it, and then learn to embody it. We have to be the change we want to see.

It is an inside job.

To do this well, we need to learn to:

• lead and create from Feminine essence

• integrate Feminine leadership styles with Masculine leadership styles

• embody healthy Feminine power

• speak truth with courage and love

The costs of over-Masculinizing

Most women’s leadership programs are designed to prepare us for leadership in the old paradigm, not the new one. They aim to empower women by encouraging us to “lean in,” speak up, drive hard, push through, take charge, solve problems and make tough decisions — which perpetuates the message that we should lead from our inner Masculine. This approach may have worked in the past, but is inadequate to meet today’s challenges.

Masculine-dominant leadership is not sufficient. And not sustainable.

Being out of balance with too much Masculine is costly for any leader, including for men. But it’s especially toxic for women.

The overuse of Masculine energy can lead to an overdose, resulting in breakdown. Many women learn this the hard way when they suffer from health challenges like adrenal fatigue or stress-related illness, and must take time off from work. Also, not bringing your full self to work leads to unhappiness and lack of fulfillment — which kills inspiration, engagement, commitment and job performance. 

Signs that you are out of balance

There is a better way

These consequences occur because, for most women, Masculine energy is not the native source of our power. It's time for us to plug into a more sustainable source – the Feminine. Envision working with a more balanced operating system, one that fully optimizes both your Masculine skills and your Feminine essence. Instead of feeling drained, you could show up to work every day:

» feeling nourished from an inexhaustible source of life-energy

» relaxed, knowing that you are held and supported

» glowing with radiance

» tuned in to your intuition and heart intelligence

» fired up about your vision for the future

» plugged in to an ever-flowing source of creativity

» joyfully connected with your people & women peers

Integrating Masculine and Feminine

The Masculine and Feminine principles are not defined by gender; they are universal, interdependent energies, qualities, capacities, and essences found in all people, systems and cultures. With some exceptions, women tend to have more Feminine essence and men, with exceptions, tend to have more Masculine essence.

Most (but not all) organizations lean heavily toward the Masculine Principle.

Who is Sophia?

Sophia is one of many names for the Feminine aspect of the Divine. Her name, which means wisdom, has roots in Gnosticism, Ancient Greece, Christianity and Judaism. 

Carl Jung recognized the myth of Sophia as being important to the individual's search for wholeness, and to the cultural and spiritual potential of humanity.

Sophia reminds us of the importance of doing the inner work of growing in maturity by integrating our own Masculine and Feminine qualities. She helps us to realize that we are not alone: We are held in loving embrace by our Creator, and we are irrevocably connected with each other, with the Earth, and with the Source of All That Is.

Sophia's Team

Allison Conte, MS, Founder

Allison’s mission is to help humanity balance the Masculine/Feminine energies, engage spirituality, honor the sacred Earth, and use power wisely.   

At Harvard Business Publishing, Allison is an instructor of leadership development programs. She is also an author, speaker, executive coach, facilitator and consultant. 

Allison holds a masters in Positive Organization Development from Case Western Weatherhead School of Management, and a BS in Journalism from the University of Colorado. She has served as a master executive coach in Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management Executive Education Program and has taught on the faculties of the ICF-certified Gestalt Coaching Program, Polarity Mastery Program, and The Integral Center (where she trained facilitators in a practice known as Circling).

Her toolkit includes Integral Theory, Gestalt, developmental psychology (vertical development), and Polarity Thinking. She is a certified Spiritual Intelligence Coach.

Although she considers her spiritual path to be faith-neutral (honoring all wisdom traditions), Allison is personally devoted to the Sacred Feminine and was ordained as a priestess in the Sophia Lineage in 2013. Since 2000, has studied intensively in the areas of integral spirituality, shamanism, energy work and mysticism. Her mentors include La'ne Saan Moonwalker, Ken Wilber, Trevor Hart, Lynda Caesara and Sofia Diaz. 

Allison’s paper, “Integral Feminine Leadership: Developing Women Leaders to Lead from Feminine Essence,” co-authored with Susan Cannon, Ph.D.,  serves as the theoretical basis for the Sophia Leadership Program. It made its debut at the International Leadership Association’s conference on women’s leadership in 2015.

She is co-author of two books, The New Feminine Evolutionary and Pioneering the Path to Prosperity. She is also developing a book project based on her work in feminine spirituality and leadership.

Read what clients are saying about Allison.