Episode 2: Making It Real — The Spheres of Authentic Action in Practice
In Episode 1, we introduced the Spheres of Authentic Action framework—an existentially inspired tool to help leaders navigate complex decisions without abandoning their values. In Episode 2, we bring that framework to life with real-world examples and two new tools to help you apply it to your own organization.
Authentic leadership doesn’t mean choosing between purity and pragmatism—it means navigating across values, strategy, and creativity with intention.
🌀 Navigating Across Spheres
We revisit the three concentric circles of our framework:
- Core Values: The deep impact your organization is committed to creating, beyond language or branding.
- Strategic Flexibility: The ways you communicate and adapt while keeping your core work intact.
- Creative Possibilities: The innovations that emerge when constraints challenge your usual way of doing things.
Drawing from real nonprofit leaders across youth development, health equity, and environmental justice, we explore how organizations are:
- Clarifying what’s truly non-negotiable in their mission
- Developing context-specific language that stays true to their values
- Innovating when traditional approaches are no longer viable
🧠 Thought Experiment: Thinking Without a Banister
Inspired by Hannah Arendt’s philosophy, we guide you through a thought experiment to expand your team’s ethical judgment and adaptive capacity. It’s designed to help you recognize when sector norms limit your vision—and what new possibilities arise when you start “thinking without a banister.”
📥 Free Downloads
Ready to map your own organization’s work across the three spheres?
Download the Spheres of Authentic Action Mapping Template
Download the Strategic Flexibility Communication Guide
🎧 Listen to the Episode
In just 20 minutes, you’ll gain a clearer sense of how to lead authentically through uncertainty, complexity, and constraint. Listen to Episode 2 here and bring the Spheres framework into your everyday practice.
💬 Coming Up Next
In Episode 3, we’ll explore Martin Buber’s concept of the I-Thou relationship and how authentic connection can shift our leadership from individual burdens to shared power.
Until then, map your work, notice your language shifts, and explore what new creative options emerge when you break free from binary thinking.