leadership for liminal spaces
become a grounded guide in times of change
An online leadership program to strengthen your agility, adaptability, emotional intelligence and decision-making capacity for times of transition and uncertainty.
Leaders are asking new questions in these changing times.
How do we lead in the midst of disruption and uncertainty? How do we support people who are scared, confused, and grieving? How do we make wise choices when the ground feels wobbly and the future is uncertain? And how can we develop the skills needed for leadership in liminal spaces?
In anthropology, liminality (from Latin limen ‘a threshold’) is the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of a rite of passage, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they will hold when the rite is complete. During a rite’s liminal stage, participants “stand at the threshold” between their previous way of structuring their identity, time, or community, and a new way (which completing the rite establishes). (from Wikipedia)
equipping you for leadership in liminal spaces.
At the Centre for Holding Space, we want to equip you for whatever liminality you’re living through. In our new online program, we’ll explore the above questions together.
Lots of leadership programs teach you how to be a visionary and strategic leader, how to communicate effectively, how to help your team be productive, or how to delegate work. Those courses start with the assumption that the world’s a fairly stable place and the greatest challenge you’ll likely face will be an organizational restructuring.
But what about when organizational changes are happening in the middle of cultural or political disruption? What about when the people you’re leading feel increasingly insecure and the future is uncertain on multiple levels? What is uniquely needed now?
liminal spaces call for skilled leadership.
In this year-long program (with options for short-term participation), we’ll explore the concept of liminality and the many challenges and possibilities that come with it. We’ll talk about human behaviour and emotions, and the core needs that influence them, especially in times of change. We’ll examine the kinds of wisdom, skills, and practices that equip you for leadership in liminal spaces.
In times of liminality, a leader needs special skills and practices to serve as a Grounded Guide – someone who knows how to find steadiness and offer it to others, create brave and safe spaces where hard conversations can happen, and not be easily knocked over by the swirling storms. We can help you root yourself, like a tree, in what is both solid and nurturing, so that you can be both anchor and guide for those you lead.
nature guides us in liminality.
The natural world offers us much guidance in our quest to understand and navigate liminality. We’ll explore, for example, how mycelium in the soil models a certain kind of leadership, and how a matrilineal pod of whales might serve as a model for community organizing. We’ll zoom out beyond our human-made systems to imagine what’s possible when our leadership is rooted in a more integrated, reciprocal relationship with nature and with each other.
In the last week of each month throughout 2025 (except for July & December), we’ll host a webinar on a topic related to Leadership for Liminal Spaces (see list below). In between webinars, a study group will meet weekly on Zoom to dig deeper into the topic covered in the last webinar. You can sign up for the webinars alone, or participate in the study group.
This is a program for leaders of all kinds.
Whether you’re in formal leadership or informally supporting friends or family through a time of change, there will be meaningful content and conversations for you in Leadership for Liminal Spaces. We hold a broad understanding of leadership, believing that anyone willing to show up and use their influence and abilities in service to others and to a common cause can offer leadership in some way.
join us for a year of learning.
Registration options for LEADERSHIP IN LIMINAL SPACES include:
- Registration for all webinars. (Note: If you register part way through the year, you’ll receive recordings for those that have already happened.)
- Registration for individual webinars.
- Registration for individual webinars + the study group for the following three weeks.
- Registration for all webinars and all study group sessions, for a year of learning.
Webinars will be 90 minutes long. The standard format will be: a 20-30 minute presentation, time for questions about the content of the presentation, and then breakout rooms for integration of the content. Webinar registrants will receive a call recording, plus a PDF of presentation material. (Note: In these relatively short webinars, we’ll only have time for a brief introduction to most concepts. For more in-depth exploration, join the study group.)
Deepen your learning in a weekly study group.
Our study group will be a place for further integration and also for us to practice being a place of Grounded Gathering as a collective. On the weekly calls, we’ll host conversations prompted by the prior webinar. Study group participants will receive the call recording and presentation PDF; a workbook related to the month’s topic, with weekly prompts for conversation, personal practice, and journal writing; plus additional resources for further study. There will also be breakout room opportunities where you’ll get to know other leaders from around the world. In addition, study group participants will have access to a course platform on Mighty Networks where they can interact with other participants and access all content, video recordings, and resource links.
leadership in liminal spaces – monthly webinars
1. Exploring Liminality: When everything changes and the future is unknown
Webinar: January 30, 2025; Study Group: February 6, 13 & 20, 2025 at 19:00 GMT
- What is liminality and how is it modeled in nature?
- What are the three forms of liminality that we experience individually and collectively?
- How is liminality present in this moment in history and how has humanity gotten through it in the past?
- How does an understanding of liminality change how we lead and how we support people?
2. Leadership in liminal spaces: Core competencies of a Grounded Guide
Webinar: February 27, 2025; Study Group: March 6, 13 & 20, 2025 at 19:00 GMT
- What is different about leadership in liminality?
- What are the core competencies for leadership in liminal spaces?
- What practices help us cultivate these core competencies?
- How do collaborative leaders support each other in developing the core competencies?
3. Needs, emotions, and behaviours: Emotional and social intelligence for times of liminality
Webinar: March 27, 2025; Study Group: April 3, 10 & 17, 2025 at 19:00 GMT
- How and why do we behave differently in times of liminality?
- What is the Core Needs Triad?
- What are the threats to our core needs?
- How do our core needs shape our behaviour, emotions, and relationships?
- How can leaders, support people in meeting their own core needs, hold space for the emotions that show up, and guide people into healthier behaviour?
4. Systems Thinking: Navigating complexity in times of liminality
Webinar: April 24, 2025; Study Group: May 1, 8 & 15, 2025 at 19:00 GMT
- What is systems theory and how does it help us understand ourselves and our cultures?
- How do we shape systems and how are we being shaped by systems?
- What does nature teach us about being part of ecosystems (rather than mechanical systems)?
- What is a leader’s role in hospicing dying systems and supporting the emergence of healthier ones?
5. The Psychology of Leadership: Exploring beliefs, biases, and identity
Webinar: May 29, 2025; Study Group: June 5, 12 & 19, 2025 at 19:00 GMT
- How are our beliefs and biases formed and how do they shape our identity?
- What is cognitive dissonance and how does it inform choices and contribute to conflict?
- Why does polarization happen (especially in times of liminality), and what can leaders do?
- How do leaders engage with diverse people who hold differing beliefs and biases?
- How do our unmet needs impact our beliefs, biases and identity?
6. Becoming a Grounded Guide: Nervous system activation and regulation in times of liminality
Webinar: July 31, 2025; Study Group: August 7, 14 & 21, 2025 at 19:00 GMT
- Why do people get activated/dysregulated in times of liminality, and how is that activation exacerbated by trauma (individual & collective)?
- How are the systems we’re part of impacting our nervous systems?
- What is a leader’s role when the people they lead and/or influence become dysregulated?
- What practices and personal work help a leader become a Grounded Guide in liminality?
- How do we support embodied security & belonging through co-regulation & eco-regulation?
7. Community culture: Relationship patterns and attachments in times of liminality
Webinar: August 28, 2025; Study Group: September 5, 12 & 19, 2025 at 19:00 GMT
- How do patterns like the victim triangle, codependence, and projection show up in our groups/communities?
- How do the systems we’re in impact our relationships and community culture?
- How does a leader support healthy boundaries among their group/community?
- What is the Cycle of Shame and how do we support people in moving toward the Cycle of Liberation?
- What do the practices of Holding Space and Tenderness offer in the development of healthy cultures?
8. Collaborative leadership: Shoulder to shoulder in times of liminality
Webinar: September 25, 2025; Study Group: October 2, 9 & 16, 2025 at 19:00 GMT
- How do we work together as collaborative leaders who model “a leader in every chair”?
- What can we learn from mycelium, forests, and salmon about interdependency, collaboration, and the care economy?
- How do we understand our roles as collaborative leaders so that we can best contribute to the collective good? (i.e. “main character”, “secondary character”, etc.)
- How do we nurture the “we space” of Mystery & Community?
9. The Right Move Now: Making decisions in liminal times
Webinar: October 30, 2025; Study Group: November 6, 13 & 20, 2025 at 19:00 GMT
- How do leaders develop discernment and humility as core competencies that support wise decisions? What about courage, conviction and confidence?
- What supports us in getting our egos out of the way so that our decisions serve the collective good?
- What if a leader changes their mind?
- How/when do we make repairs when the outcome of a decision isn’t what we intended?
10. A Well-Resourced Leader: Self-care for Grounded Guides
Webinar: November 27, 2025; Study Group: December 4, 11 & 18, 2025 at 19:00 GMT
- How do we hold space for ourselves as leaders?
- How do we develop healthy boundaries and “psychic membranes” that nurture and protect us, while still supporting our people?
- What does tenderness have to do with it?
- Who is holding space for the leaders?
- How do we create communities of care to support leaders?
Your journey through Leadership for Liminal Spaces will be guided by Heather Plett and Krista dela Rosa, cofounders of the Centre for Holding Space. Heather honed her leadership skills in government, non-profit, and university classrooms. Krista honed hers in churches, youth groups, and community spaces. Both deepened their capacity through parenting, business ownership, and course development. You can read more about them here.
Krista & Heather had some time together recently and recorded this video about their vision for Leadership for Liminal Spaces.
This program marks the beginning of a new body of work for the Centre for Holding Space.
what people have said about our programs
“The container and content that I found within the Foundational and Practitioner programs of the Centre for Holding Space transformed how I showed up in my life and work. I wanted to continue my journey in order to deepen my skill and expertise in this work and begin to share it more intentionally within my networks and organization. The Master Practitioner program is providing a supportive and challenging container to continue to exercise my ‘Holding Space muscles’ while crafting and developing my own programs and practice.” – Brenda Barritt
“My growth through Holding Space has been deeply gratifying, transformational, and painfully messy. I have found it impossible to engage the material without engaging my heart, my soul, and my emotions. I was challenged to reconsider my view of self, my world view, and my biases. There was ‘ugh’, swear words, and tears. There was also laughter, joy, and connection. There was freedom to find my own path and to make this a deeply personal journey. But there was also plenty of support along the journey and I found every step honored and fostered by Heather and the Center for Holding Space.” – Mary Jo Burkhard
“Heather Plett is a gentle, caring soul with the capacity to support and hold space while you navigate your journey (both personal and professional) to a better self. Information is shared in a healing manner that feels more soothing than educational yet it’s so full of impact, that you know you are forever changed by the experience. I’m not sure who will benefit more, my clients or me, from my newfound capacity to hold space. Before Heather’s workshop, I didn’t even know that I was a bowl. Now I find myself replaying her teachings in my mind as I become the best bowl I can be!” – Abby Mosher, Founder/Executive Director, Tomorrow’s Rainbow, Inc.
“Heather gave a keynote speech to start off our international association’s annual conference and my response was, ‘Wow!’ It was beyond what we could have hoped for. Her presentation was well-organized, thought-provoking, and exceptionally relevant for our focus. As a person and speaker, she is authentic and engaging. Our participants loved her and her presentation, and it set an amazing tone for the rest of our conference. Participant evaluations included, ‘inspiring,’ ‘my favorite,’ ‘powerful speaker,’ ‘valuable,’ and ‘moving.’ It says a lot when contents of her presentation were referred to throughout the rest of our 3-day conference. We are very grateful and will love to have her speak another time.” – Lynn Thomas
“This course has been and continues to be an amazing opportunity to explore at a deeper level all aspects of myself. It is giving me tools to add to my ‘kitbag’ that will enable fantastic facilitation and hosting skills for practicing Holding Space, using the prinicples and practice of the Circle Way. Each week something new unfolds. We are held gently, supported warmly and encouraged to boldly go forth. I personally have never experienced an online course that has provided such amazing structure and support. Everything has been thought of. Its up to you how much or how little that you take from the learnings. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be part of the very first online training.”– Kerri Ann Lynch, women’s circle coordinator, Australia
“Thoughtful and thought provoking content – great for both novice or very experienced practitioners – with a wide range of applications – workplaces, Boards, teams, community groups, faith groups, advocacy groups, and intentional groups seeking to deepen their awareness. The modules were filled with insights, powerful models, and story. The program is designed to hold space for learning in multiple and multi-faceted ways – written or recorded lessons, thought provoking questions, additional resources – videos, websites, book references, participation in weekly conversations, one-on-one time access with the program facilitators, recorded class discussions available to review and the support and expectation that you have a buddy (or more than one buddy) to explore your understanding and application of the concepts. Of the many gifts from this program, the most unexpected was the power of the community of people from around the world that was cultivated through our weekly calls. It started with invitations to show up, and then to tell the brave truth, and ended with knowing we’d created on the internet a loving, accepting, and engaging community, more committed at the end of the program than we were in the beginning.” – Marion Langford
OTHER OFFERINGS: To further support leaders in liminal spaces, we will be offering additional courses & workshops, such as Not the Main Character and Know Yourself, Free Yourself . We’ll also be posting YouTube videos and posts and podcast episodes on the topic at atenderspace.substack.com. One in-person workshop is already planned for Belgium in Spring, with another possibly happening in Canada in Fall.
Sign up for our newsletter below to stay informed.
Registration Details
Timing:
- Webinars will happen on the last Thursday of each month (except June & December) at 19:00 GMT (1:00 p.m. Central). (Click on the time to convert to your local time.)
- Study group will meet the three Thursdays after that (also at 19:00 GMT).
- Both webinar and study group calls will be 90 minutes.
Cost:
Individual webinars: $50
Individual webinar + 3 week study group: $200
All 10 webinars: $450
All webinars + study group: $1800
Additional Information:
- If you are submitting a request to your HR department for payment of this program and need documentation, contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
- Those who join the study group for the full year will have the option of being assigned study partners or small groups for additional conversation.
- Participants can also book a coaching session with a member of our coaching team for a discounted rate.
- Participants will be welcome to attend our in-person Alumni Gathering in September 2024.
- Cancellation policy: A full refund will only be available up to a week before the webinar you registered for. Partial refunds will be considered on a case-by-case basis after that.
Questions? Contact us.