The Connected Leader

Book excerpt: Connection is the antidote—yet, many of us don’t know how to connect to ourselves compassionately in order to enhance self-discovery. Without this gift, we cannot connect—in a meaningful way—to a higher purpose or engage with others to ignite inspiration. With the help of Hardwick’s connection architecture, we can transform. By utilizing her strategies of connection, we can empower workplaces and relationships through the grace and grit, resilience and empathy that occur when our connection wiring is activated in healthy ways. Hardwick’s willingness to share her story of struggle and triumph—along with anecdotes from the boardroom and family room—help us to awaken, heal, and courageously lead. She synthesizes the emotional, spiritual, and relational, giving us permission to look honestly at how we do damage to ourselves and others while inviting us to live and lead from a place of true well-being. “The Connected Leader is profoundly important. Karen's written a guide that is at once both practical and actionable while vividly authentic and real. Using her own broken open heart, she shows how each of us is seeking presence and connection and that the best leaders, leading from a connected soul, create the conditions for a lasting sense of belonging.” —Jerry Colonna, author, Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up “Hardwick’s inspiring message is there’s a more fully human way to lead rooted in emotional, spiritual, and relational wholeness. Connected leadership is the way of the future. Highly recommended!” —Ian Morgan Cron, author, The Road Back to You