Leading from Being: Recent Episodes
Marti Spiegelman & Todd Hoskins
Two experts from two generations exploring the intersection of consciousness, leadership, teams, organizations, and global change.
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In this inaugural Landscapes episode, Marti traces the word's surprising origins from Dutch "land" and "ship," revealing how understanding of place began with fluid conversation between territories. The discussion moves from physical geographies to what Andean elders call "landscapes of the heart"—internal territories of relationship and meaning that shape who we become.
The conversation explores how Western separation from Nature impoverishes both external and internal landscapes, while original human wisdom traditions demonstrate belonging to the places we inhabit. Personal stories emerge of witnessing the healing of post-extraction lands in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the electromagnetic pull of Arctic territories, showing how specific places can restore capacity for thriving.
The episode reveals how placing awareness outward into the world can create deeper connection than traditional meditation, and concludes with the understanding that integration emerges naturally naturally when systems are well-functioning. For leaders navigating complexity without clear roadmaps, this offers a different approach to finding direction through relationship with the territories we're crossing.
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In the final episode of their "Problem with Problems" series, Marti Spiegelman and Todd Hoskins explore the deeper dynamics that lie beneath our habitual problem-solving orientation. They introduce the Andean principle of "sourcing from who you're becoming, not from who you have been" and examine how this shift in awareness transforms leadership, relationships, and our capacity to respond to life's challenges.
Marti and Todd discuss how moving beyond the fixed, self-referential lens of problem-solving opens us to participate in the living dynamics that shape reality. Through practical examples—from mentoring relationships to networking events—they illustrate how presence and connection reveal opportunities invisible to our reactive, categorizing minds.
Marti shares insights from original human wisdom traditions about humanity's role as conduits for universal consciousness, while Todd explores how true mentoring helps people unfold into their authentic being rather than simply achieving goals. Together, they invite listeners to discover what becomes possible when we stop trying to control outcomes and instead learn to move with the creative forces of life itself.
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In this second installment of "The Problem with Problems" series, hosts Marti Spiegelman and Todd Hoskins explore how our dualistic worldview impacts our sense of belonging. They discuss how a binary "either/or" perspective shrinks our awareness to two dimensions, forcing us to see ourselves as either included or excluded, which fundamentally limits our creative capacity and connection to the world.
Marti and Todd propose that true belonging isn't about fitting in with specific groups but rather about recognizing our inherent membership in the greater whole—the living universe. They suggest that when we shift our awareness away from self-reference and into direct sensory experience of the world around us, we can discover that belonging is already guaranteed and unconditional.
Throughout their conversation, Marti and Todd look into how this shift in orientation transforms our relationship with problems, creativity, and collective action. They explore how indigenous cultures maintain connections to something larger than ego structures and how our modern disconnection from Nature places excessive pressure on human relationships for validation.
The episode concludes with Todd's potentialities essay on "Sinuosity"—the value of winding, responsive paths versus our cultural obsession with directness and efficiency—and how embracing our natural rhythms might lead to more authentic ways of being in the world.
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In this episode, Marti and Todd begin a new three-part series exploring "The Problem With Problems," focusing first on the worldview that centers around problems and solutions. They open with a revealing story about forest management, where the seemingly simple solution to prevent all forest fires actually created the conditions for far more devastating blazes – a perfect illustration of how our problem-solution mindset often backfires in complex living systems.
The conversation delves into how deeply we've embedded this problem-solving reflex in modern life. From business to healthcare to personal development, we've trained ourselves to see challenges primarily as problems needing fixes. But what if this very worldview is limiting our ability to thrive in a complex world?
Drawing from original human wisdom, Marti and Todd invite us to consider a different way of being – one where we participate in living systems rather than trying to control them. They explore how our sense of belonging shifts when we stop looking for problems everywhere and instead experience our membership in the world around us.
This thought-provoking conversation challenges us to reconsider the problem-solution paradigm that has shaped our modern world and encourages us to explore more expansive, creative ways of engaging with life's challenges and possibilities.
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In the final episode of their climate consciousness series, Marti and Todd welcome Liz Carlisle, associate professor at UC Santa Barbara and author of "Healing Grounds: Climate Justice and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming." They explore the essential relationship between human consciousness and agriculture through the lens of indigenous wisdom and regenerative farming practices. Carlisle shares insights learned from women farmers and indigenous leaders about the importance of putting "roots in the ground all year round" - both literally in farming practices and metaphorically in how we approach our relationship with the land. The conversation delves into how regenerative agriculture isn't just about carbon sequestration, but about healing our relationship with the earth and each other through practices that give back to the land rather than simply taking from it. The hosts and guest discuss the potential for regional food systems to scale out (rather than up) regenerative practices, and how everyone - even those not directly involved in farming - can participate in healing our relationship with the planet. The episode concludes with the new "Potentialities" segment, replacing the previous "Conscious Rant," where Todd shares observations from a regenerating forest in Costa Rica as a metaphor for how consciousness in leadership can create conditions for sustainable transformation.
In the third episode in their series on climate consciousness, Marti and Todd are joined by Felipe Benitez, the founder of Corazón Latino. They dive into a discussion on approaches to leadership and addressing climate change through a lens of love, compassion, and engaging diverse communities. Benitez emphasizes the importance of reconnecting people, especially communities of color, with Nature in joyful and experiential ways, rather than relying on top-down messaging or policy changes alone. He shares insights on effectively inviting people into Nature, tapping into shared human experiences, and catalyzing collective action through a focus on hope and positive engagement. The three of them discuss the power of individual consciousness, the need to move beyond polarization, and the opportunity to create a more hopeful future by highlighting our interconnectedness with the natural world.
In continuing the series on climate consciousness, Marti and Todd welcome guest Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir, an Icelandic author, filmmaker and sustainability leader. Hrund discusses the Icelandic concept of "InnSæi" which means intuition or "inner sea." She describes how InnSæi represents seeing within oneself, understanding one's place in the world, and navigating life with an inner compass.
The conversation explores how modern life has disconnected people from their InnSæi and the natural world. However, by cultivating presence, imagination, and awe, we can shift our center of gravity back within. This helps us make better decisions, empathize, tap into creativity, and care for the planet. The conversation stresses the importance of understanding the complexity and interconnectedness of life. We must move from separation to participation, respecting planetary boundaries. Our consciousness and actions impact the world.
Marti and Todd welcome citizen scientists Hilde Fålun Strøm and Sunniva Sorby for this inaugural episode on climate consciousness. They discuss their eyewitness experiences with climate change in the Arctic over 19 months living in a small cabin, as well as their work educating others. Key points include the disproportionate impact occurring in polar regions, the importance of individual action, and the need for people worldwide to reconnect with Nature.
Despite having no modern amenities in Svalbard , Hilde and Sunniva engaged people globally and inspired action. They continue to share the challenges climate change poses for humanity and biodiversity worldwide, emphasizing our interconnectedness. They share of how the isolation of their experience actually better connected them to themselves, each other, and the natural world. Their story underscores how belonging to the Earth and her cycles teaches us about belonging to Life itself.
Marti and Todd welcome guest Elizabeth Soltis, author of Authentic Collaboration, to discuss the topic of bridging—the art of connecting ideas, groups, and perspectives. They explore how to shift mindsets from predetermining connections to living into the process of exchange and relationship building. The hosts and guest share insights on attuning groups, finding common ground, embracing vulnerability, getting comfortable with not knowing, and opening up to new possibilities. Key themes include moving from static structures to emergent processes, and from transmitting expertise to participatory meaning-making. Authentic collaboration requires suspending preconceived outcomes in order to bridge diverse views, tapping into the momentum and potential that arises through open disclosure.
From the Edge: The Coordinates of You (Marti)
Conscious Rant: Questioning the Need for Speed (Todd)
In their final episode in the series on leadership and power, Marti and Todd explore what makes each person's expression of power unique and valuable, and how these expressions create a sense of wholeness in teams, organizations, and communities.
From the Edge: Dam Dismantling (Todd)
Conscious Rant: In Case You Didn't Notice (Marti)
In Episode 23, Marti and Todd spent most of the hour discussing what power is not—our misconceptions and fears around power. In this discussion, they explore the relationships and experiences of being people of power.
What does it mean to be in a state of collective power? What does it feel like? What are the needed conditions?
From the Edge: The Age of Meeting Ourselves Again (Marti)
Conscious Rant: Accountability (Todd)
What exactly is power? If we’re not playing “power games” or King of the Hill, then how do we perceive power? Work with power? Be people of power?
Marti and Todd explore power in the negative, and then move into a conversation about how we can shift our perception and experience of power to participate in something much larger than ourselves.
From the Edge: Tribute to Christopher Alexander (Todd)
Conscious Rant: Frothing (Marti)
We spend so much time analyzing and choosing governance models. What if there is a different approach? Marti and Todd get into the dynamics of organizations that move beyond rigid structures and become negotiable in the experience of working together. They also introduce a new segment at the end of today’s episode:Takeaways.
From the Edge: Being a Person of Power (Marti)
Conscious Rant: Stop Managing Your Time (Todd)
Marti and Todd welcome guest Ted Wallach, founder of the Quantum Warrior program, to explore the principle of masculinity in the context of new beginnings.
They discuss the principles of the feminine and masculine as complementarities that are needed for creation—energies not attributes. The conversation moves from our obsession with defining, to how we can discuss, interact, and weave with these principles.
From the Edge: Appreciative Inquiry (Todd)
Conscious Rant: Why are We Still Ranting (Marti)
Are we in “late stage capitalism?” Can capitalism be reformed, restored, or redeemed? Marti and Todd cover why these are not the most important questions to consider. Rather, we need cycles of action at all scales that create the frameworks of the future.
This is the first episode in the series "New Beginnings" -- Marti and Todd's exploration of what may be coming to completion, and what may be emerging simultaneously.
From the Edge: Cosmology (Marti)
Conscious Rant: Simplistic Platitudes (Todd)
Marti and Todd welcome guest Melanie Goodchild, founder of the Turtle Island Institute, to discuss systems change that centers on relationships for mutual benefit. Melanie shares her experiences and wisdom on complexity, resilience, balance, and what we all need to move forward together, carrying centuries of indigenous wisdom and her Anishinaabe perspective alongside her Western academic education.
The conversation flows from identity to language to our ways of being and relating that can impact the systems we live and work within.
Special Segment: Excerpt from Relational Systems Thinking (Melanie), co-authored with Dan Longboat, Diane Longboat, Rick Hill, Kevin Deer, Peter Senge, and Otto Scharmer.
We have change agents, change-makers, turnaround specialists, and the field of change management, but do we understand what actually brings about change? Can we trust what worked in the past to work in the future?
Marti and Todd explore how leaders can become stewards of change without trying to control people and situations. Stewards of change move with negotiability, flow, passion, and compassion, understanding the timings that exist within the nature of change.
From the Edge: The Wonders of Slime Mold (Todd)
Conscious Rant: The Problem with our Worldview (Marti)
Marti and Todd welcome guest Josie Gibson, co-founder of the Catalyst Network, to discuss “Decent Work”—re-imagining our notions of work, contributions, and devoting our energies in a system that leads to wellbeing rather than inequity.
From the Edge: How We Know Shapes How We Lead (Marti)
Conscious Rant: Freedom & Constraints (Todd)
How can we make sense of and respond as leaders to an event like the global spread of COVID-19?
Marti and Todd explore addressing our rising emotions, the power of awareness, and the power of the heart in helping bring new creativity to a world that is being reshaped.
From the Edge: Being a Cartographer (Todd)
Conscious Rant: Staying Connected While We’re Apart (Marti)
This episode was recorded on May 26, 2020.
Marti & Todd welcome guest Giles Hutchins. As the co-author of Regenerative Leadership, Giles is an edge-walker between living systems and the business world.
Giles Hutchins is a pioneering practitioner and senior adviser at the forefront of the [r]evolution in organizational and leadership consciousness, and developmental approaches that enhance personal, organizational and systemic agility and vitality. He is the Chair of The Future Fit Leadership Academy, Founder of Leadership Immersions, co-founder of Biomimicry for Creative Innovation, and he runs a 60 acre leadership centre at Springwood Farm, an area of outstanding natural beauty near London, UK. Previously held corporate roles include Head of Practice for KPMG, and Global Head of Sustainability for Atos
Marti, Todd, and Giles discuss approaches and the impact of bringing principles of the natural world into organizational leadership. The title of this episode is derived from seven principles in Regenerative Leadership, written with Laura Storm.
From the Edge: Coming Together without Losing our Way (Marti)
Conscious Rant: Enough with the Debate! (Todd)
Marti & Todd welcome guest Samantha Slade. As the co-founder of Percolab, Sam has been bringing new ways of working, learning, and governing to organizations for two decades. As a social innovator, Samantha supports teams, organizations and ecosystems to work with complexity and grow a conscious innovation mindset, from the European commission to bold start ups.
Marti, Todd, and Sam discuss practices and principles that help drive participation, democracy, and shared leadership in organizations. The title of this episode is derived from Samantha’s book, Going Horizontal: Creating a Non-Hierarchical Organization One Practice at a Time.
From the Edge: Honoring Esko Kilpi (Todd)
Conscious Rant: Igniting Negotiability (Marti)
If we look beyond the seemingly chaotic state of the world today, what is on the horizon? What if the chaos is not actually chaotic, but the ending of a “timing” with a tremendous amount of free, unbound energy available for leaders.
Marti and Todd explore what it means to be at a “mythic” level of engagement, imagination and risk, turning off our internal monologues, and what it takes to move forward in these times in a negotiable way with action and receptivity.
From the Edge: Dissolving the Edge (Marti)
Conscious Rant: Death by Comparison (Todd)