Spiral FAQ
What is Spiral Leadership (SL)?
Spiral Leadership is a spirit-led leadership model based on the creative force of nature’s spiral. Using the Spiral model-map as its contextual guide, Spiral Leadership combines different dimensions of leadership (self/ other/ systems) to reveal a whole new (yet familiar and natural) pattern of leadership.
Spiral Leadership focuses on recognizing and strengthening your feminine leadership qualities to combine with your healthy masculine leadership traits. Engaging Spiral Leadership in your life feels like (finally!) coming home to your whole self. Spiral Leadership will reawaken your curiosity and willingness to make your creative contribution to the world inevitable, your way.
What’s different about the Spiral Leadership model?
Inspired by nature’s evolutionary wisdom, this model reawakens and calls forth all of our intelligences (emotional, spiritual and relational IQs) to build capacity and impact as leaders in our work, life and relationships. It is a multi-dimensional and directional leadership model that is focused on helping women build the muscles of courage and commitment as they learn to lead by trusting their connection to spirit, creativity and each other.
Who is SL designed for?
Spiral Leadership is designed for women who are hungry to transform consciousness and willing to go first, to lead by example and be the pioneers of that change. It is for women who are ready to experience and express their unique voice of leadership in the world, to reclaim their confidence and purpose. Spiral Leadership is for women who are willing to trust that their spiritual connection to themselves is the place to begin, and that their connection to the wholeness of all things is paramount to trustworthy leadership. This approach is for those who are open, playful, creative and courageous in their exploration with themselves and others. It is also for women who have created a solid reputation as leaders and who are clear that they want to “do” leadership differently. These ladies are clear that this new trail of leadership is blazed together.
How can SL help me?
Spiral Leadership is a model based on the combination of increasing spiritual intelligence, relational intelligence, and creative courage through taking authoritative action from inner knowing.
As an organic, feminine leadership model, it is very powerful in evoking and calling forth unique expressions of purpose into world.
Spiral Leadership will support you to step into a world of influence not from ego, but from deep spiritual connection.
Spiral Leadership will help you to recognize the healthy and unhealthy ways that you engage your power in the world, and to call you forth to change these patterns.
It will help you step into trusting your leadership and to be more compassionate with your humanity and the humanity of others.
SL will give you an experience of leadership that is fun, joyful and wildly creative.
SL can help you recognize that the source of your power lies in our relationship to spirit, to vision and to each other.
It will help you connect deeper with your true nature and build trust in your belonging to yourself and your chosen tribes of leadership.
It can help give you permission to channel the brilliance that you are here to express, and to support you in getting over your saboteurs (inner critics) and into action with your vision.
It can help you see, craft and articulate your vision to the world, and to have a deeper relationship and more fun (!!) expressing your creativity.
It will help you learn how to create trusting relationships with others, to design powerful alliances with others to help you collaborate more effectively and to TAKE ACTION on the visions that you are sitting on.
Spiral Leadership will help you build creativity, courage, range in your expression and do it through your resonate connection with others.
Who created this? What inspired you to create SL?
SL Founder:
My name is Abigail Morgan Prout. I am the founder of this work. Over the last 20 years as Professional Leadership coach, I have coached thousands of women on stepping into their unique power as leaders and I am a faculty member for CTI, the Coaches Training institute (the #1 coaches training school in the world), and have spent years teaching the skills of leadership and coaching people (mostly women) into positions of influence, power and entrepreneurial change agents.
I am fascinated by the ways that people- especially women- access and apply their unique leadership in the world. How do we learn to trust our intuition and our vision? How do we learn to share what we are getting in a way that is enrolling and compelling to others? How do we learn to collaborate in ways that are truly empowering to all involved? These are questions that continue to fascinate me.
Over the last 20 years, I have begun to see a new pattern emerging that relies upon multiple dimensions of leadership. Living and teaching Co-Active Leadership has had a great impact on my work with Spiral Leadership. These Co-Active leadership dimensions work brilliantly together in a never-ending inward/ outward movement of the spiral. Specifically, Attuning to the Self (Leading from Within), Resonant Space (Leading from Beside) and Daring to Share (Leading from in Front). When I first stepped into learning this model 3 years ago, I was riveted by the implications of how these three braiding together as a modelmap for new type of leadership. A pattern of a whole new way of leading revealed itself through this inquiry .
What inspired you to do this?
In order to ensure survival on this planet, humans are being called upon to connect with a broader vision of wholeness, a vision for all life to be respected and held as sacred. All true spirit-led leadership comes from this place of inspiration and wisdom from a source beyond our own individual egos and agendas.
Many women are feeling the limitations of an outdated model of leadership. The old models for living, loving and leading are based on a worldview that for over five thousand years has been continuously tilted in the extreme toward masculine values, styles, and ways of making sense of reality.
As we continue to evolve as a species, we are beginning to calibrate away from this hypermasculine paradigm, as it is no longer sufficient for the emergence of our potential.
Women are in the the midst of a mass rite of passage to meet this immediate pressure for a planetary rebalancing. This deep impulse is the stimulus of combinations of inner discontentment, longing, confusion, pain, excitement and hope experienced by women. A new world, as well as our new identity as women leaders, is seeking birth. And these two things are very connected. While this is a global movement, the work we must do requires each individual to commit to a new paradigm of leadership.
Spiral Leadership is inspired by our connection to the Earth, to our purpose, to each other, and to our unique expression into the world.
Is SL just for women?
Up until now, we have been targeting women (early adaptors) to help address the challenges that we are facing at this critical moment in time as we move from victims of circumstances to agents of change. Spiral Leadership is a tool for awakening human consciousness, regardless of gender. And right now, we are starting with women.
How does SL fit in or align with the Me Too movement?
Spiral Leadership was born right after the election of Trump. It emerged as an antidote to the “leader on top” power-over dominant leadership style. The #MeToo movement added fuel to the fire as women began to step up and claim back their self-respect and power through speaking truth to power. Spiral Leadership helps to right the gender power- balance but is not about making men wrong. It is more about sourcing our power as leaders from a whole different place than the voice of the victim needing retribution. SL helps people to understand their part in the play of power imbalance, and to make the changes from the inside out to alter this dynamic for good. It is a way to re-engage our relationship to vision, to wholeness and to our voice as trustworthy change-agents.
What theories is SL founded on? What fields of thought inspired/ informed this model?
Sacred Feminism (Woodman, Bolen, Turner, Anderson)
Co-Active Leadership model and Coaching (CTI)
Earth-Based wisdom of indigenous peoples
Sufism (Mystical path of Islam)
Jungian Psychology (Carl Jung)
Celtic Spirituality
Shamanic Journeying (Sandra Ingerman, Hank Wesselman, Manda Scott)
Conscious Evolution (Barbara Marx Hubbard, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin)
How can I bring SL into my office?
As a leader in your organization, we are excited to work with your team of women leaders. We are currently developing materials to help you bring Spiral thinking into your organization, business and workplace. Please contact us if you have a team and want more information about Activating the Spiral inside of your organizations.
activating the spiral FAQ
What makes “Activating the Spiral” different from other development courses?
It is very personal, hands on. There is nowhere to hide. You must be ready to be confronted by some of your challenging thoughts and behaviors, and to explore your highest visions as a leader. It is a place of exploration as well as learning from resources that are coming out around vulnerability, courage and positive collaboration. It is a safe place to explore feminine leadership traits.
How much time/how many hours will it take to complete the “Activating the SPiral course?”
The minimum amount of time is the 90 minute blocks every week for eight weeks. Also 2 additional hours spent in a dyad with another participant and 1 hour with individual Spiral Leadership coaching.
Do I have to take the course in real time? Can I watch recordings?
We encourage participants to participate in all eight virtual live on-line courses in order to build connection, safety and trust with the group. You may also watch the recorded zoom videos if a session is missed. There are videos that support each week’s topic.
How many people are in each course?
8-10 participants per course.
Are there any requirements to taking the course?
Show up for every call and be fully present, and keep heart, mind, and spirit open. And do the homework.
How do I sign up for the course?
Sign up here, on the website or contact us for more details.
What are the technology requirements needed to participate in the course?
You must have access to a computer with audio and video capability and a strong enough internet connection to participate in a Zoom conference call.
Retreats faq
What is the deal with the retreats? Do I have to take them all in order?
There are 3 retreats. You can take one. Or you can take them all. Or you can take them over and over again! Each retreat is its own unique experience because of the participants. There is no specific sequence to take the retreats in.
What is the focus of the “Attuning to Life” retreat?
This Springtime retreat is focused on having women own and give permission to Attune frequently and deeper so we can listen to what is coming through us and take action. We will explore what gets in the way of your connection to the whole, and develop new habits that hack your old systems of prioritizing others’ agendas.
What is Attunement?
The process of connecting to the whole of creating through our engagement with our own spiritual connection. Through exploring the island’s exquisite nature, through singing, dancing, art and meditation we will enter into a deep state of attunement. Being in a state of awe, presence and gratitude open up our connection to experience Oneness. We each have a unique role to play, and Attunement will quiet the distractions so that you can hear what is yours to create and lead.
What is the focus of the “Woman at the Edge of Herself” Retreat?
This Summertime retreat is all about crossing edges that are holding you back. During this retreat we will explore the external edges of self as well as internal edges.
Doing the hard thing that you know you need to do. Crossing edges takes courage and a belief that Daring To Share over that edge is worth it.
We use the edges of Lopez Island to illustrate the edges within ourselves. Large amount of challenge and visibility are inherent in this retreat. It is a fun, spicy and very engaged retreat.
What is the focus of the “Harvesting Together” retreat?
The “Harvesting Together” retreat happens in Autumn- What can you do as a leader to create and sustain the resonant fields around you in your network, family, different social groups? How do you become the leader to create Resonant Fields so you and others can thrive in social environments?
What is the Resonant Field? The RF is the social sphere that is intentionally selected (by you) and designed (by you) to meet you in your brilliance and to help support you to develop the courage to Dare to Share. Part of feminine leadership is using our innate skill of connecting socially in a way that is focused on developing the very best that we can develop. It is the age-old process of calling and nurturing the circle.
This retreat is focused on your communication skills - show up at 100% and receive others at 100%.
Very evocative, yummy retreat.
How much do the retreats cost?
There is a sliding scale of $1500-2500 depending on the accommodations that you chose
What does this include?
4.5 days of focused retreat with 8-12 other participants.
Lunch is covered daily and three dinners.
Since accommodations are not covered in the price of the retreat, where do I stay?
Lopez has a variety of beautiful housing options. Depending on what your price range is, your tuition will either cover your accommodations, or you will surely find a place that meets your desires. Please visit the Lopez Chamber of Commerce and Lopez Island VRBO for ideas...
Is there a discount for signing up for all three retreats?
Yes, please inquire if this is of interest to you
Can I pay in installments?
Full payment is required to guarantee your place in the circle.
How long is each retreat?
4.5 days. Show up Thursday afternoon/evening. Have dinner together.
All day Friday, All day Saturday, some Sunday.
When do the retreats begin and end?
Wednesday evening, Sunday by Noon.
Where are the retreats held?
Lopez Island, WA and Vernon, BC Canada
How do I get there?
You will take a Ferry from Anacortes, which is approx 2 hours drive North from SeaTac, or 2 hours Drive South from Vancouver, BC. Fly to Vernon, BC
Is there a waitlist for a retreat if it is sold out?
Yes. There will be a waitlist.
What should I bring with me to the retreat?
Bring your best self and an appetite for growth and connection.
There will be lots of outdoor activity. There could be rain, wind, sun- layers!
Flashlight
Journal
Anything else you need to feel comfortable