An interview with Melissa Kwee

Written by Melissa Aratani Kwee, Co-Creator / General Worker, NVPC ~ City of Good

1. Why is “an approach to leadership that resonates with women” needed?

Millions of unnoticed women lead everyday in multiple context of life.  We have been called the 'weaker sex' because our strengths (for instance, emotional, relational and spiritual acumen) are what the world sees as weakness; the "soft stuff."  

Truly, the soft stuff is the hard stuff. Vulnerability, empathy, patience, whole system sensing and sense making is hard.  

Leadership needed must unleash the talents of all, not just the few. We need leaders who can do this not through command, but believing as mothers do, in the best in everyone's child and committing to seeing that giftedness expressed. 

In this age of great bravado and disfigured sound and fury, we frankly need more humble, caring and serving leaders who lead not from brute strength but from weakness: the need for others to complement us and unleash the generative gift of mutuality and wholeness.  We need to recognize gifts of bridge building and the healing of wounds. 

Fumbling along the long tail of covid with the growing inequality, political and social unrest, economic recession and the threat of stifulation, we need to also recognize that the weakest amongst us will also be hit first and the hardest in the long winter to come.

What is needed now as an active, empathetic, bridge building leadership reinvest resources into their life systems and microeconomies, and the courage to change some of the current structures which no longer serve the well-being of the whole and only benefit the few.  No society prospers where inequality is an unsummitable mountain so no one tries. 

2. Halfway through the Expedition what are you uncovering?

That i can find soul sisters/good friends as an adult!

To read more about Melissa, click here