How to Hold Power: A Somatic Approach to Becoming a Leader People Love and Respect--30+ Embodiment Practices to Empower Your Team and Lead With Intention

by Pavini Moray

Essential skills for today's learn how to embody your ethics, earn your team's trust, and dismantle toxic work cultureLeaders and managers everywhere are learning the importance of creating safe, satisfying workplaces rooted in principles of social justice. But many of us who try to lead with ethics and integrity struggle with embracing a position of power and authority. You might worry about “being bossy,” unintentionally disrespecting others, or making the wrong call—and in the process, put your mind and body under so much stress that you burn out.Somatic educator and coach Pavini Moray argues that the secret to being an ethical, inspirational boss is rooted in our own bodies. In more than 30 simple exercises, reflections, and daily practices, you’ll learn how Drawing from client case studies and their own experience as a manager, Moray teaches foundational embodiment practices—breath, grounding, observing, centering, and moving—through concrete examples that show how to use these skills in a variety of common workplace settings. By learning to practice embodied leadership presence, you can become a boss who truly listens to your employees; leads with inspiration; and brings your whole self to work every day.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Leadership, Self Help

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2023

Reviews

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How to Hold Power" presents a pretty great holistic approach to leadership. After reading infamous business books about managing people one could have thought they know everything there is, and still somehow not all boxes are ticked to become the leader for people to listen to and follow. This book covers the missing boxes and tells you how to tick at least one or all of them.

Long story short - leaders need therapy, but more than just for mind-cleaning purposes, one needs to have somatic therapy to connect their mind and body, because without hearing your body you won't hear anybody. The book covers the embodiment with physical and psychological aspects of it, and leadership on its own as well as the psychological side of management. Pavini Moray offers an explanation of how the connection works, examples of cases they had, and actual practices to do during hardship moments and in the calm of your own home.

Overall - a must-read for managers and leaders, and for people who feel like they lack connection between mind and body. 4 stars, only because some parts may have been made shorter or left out, and from time to time I found it challenging to get through the book although it's only 240 pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Darya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your leadership is not coming with your title. This could be one of the most powerful and simiest phrases. The book has two parts and two main focuses: physical and mindful. We are all humans and being a leader can cause some issues if you dont take a proper care of your mind and body. There is no right or wrong way, everyone should look for the path that suits self. There are many good learnings in the book and overall can be a good reflection.

[Lovely Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, North Atlantic Books & Pavini Moray for providing me with a copy of How to Hold Power for review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 rounded up - available 10 October 2023.

This book and I went on a bit of a journey. I was getting very triggered by the book recalling my own experiences of failing leadership. In particular, I was taken back to when I had 2 weeks of mental health leave after being bullied by my direct boss in a team meeting and then management ignored me for an entire Monday. It wasn't until I left the office at 10 a.m. on Tuesday that someone noticed that I even existed - and wasn't at my desk 😅.

Most of you would know that I am currently in holiday and let's just say that being triggered on holiday wasn't really what I was after. However, I managed to reach the chapter discussing our triggers and how to explore our physical reactions in these moments. I am so glad that I reached this chapter and continued on through the book.

I felt let I had a plan to not only progress my leadership on my return from holidays but also the toolkit to explore how I can manage my own tensions and grief to move on. Thank you.

The learnings focus on our body first and listening to what our bodies are telling us in different moments. Some of the discussion on physical contractions didn't really connect with me - I haven't experienced this much. But listening to my bohas as been a key component my eating disorder what and this is a wonderful resource for embodying and respecting your body to be a better leader.

[Rhia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Before I even finished the book, I could feel myself embodying the practices outlined throughout and could see impacts in my own behaviors and at work. Definitely worth a re-read, and going on my To Buy list.

For those of you who read my scathing review last year of Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone… this is the book that one should have been.