Lynn Horan, PhD Leadership & Life Development

08/28/2024

My Fall Scapegoat Coaching Series is off to an AMAZING start, thanks to my clients' deep and INSIGHTFUL sharing and a strong desire to re-claim one's leadership STRENGTHS.

Here are some HIGHLIGHTS ---

** Self-differentiated women with strong boundaries are often TARGETED within dysfunctional work and family systems.

** Workplace scapegoating often MIRRORS family scapegoating, which amplifies feelings of trauma and isolation.

** Scapegoats are often the HEALTHIEST personalities in otherwise toxic groups.

** Insecure and narcissistic leaders RESENT productive and high-achieving women and look for ways to de-legitimize their leadership.

** Healed and EMPOWERED scapegoats can contribute to institutional reform and promote more equitable and humane work environments.

Learn more at: https://www.lynnhoran.com/scapegoat-series.html

08/26/2024

I coach empathetic purpose-driven women in a variety of professional sectors, many of whom share the experience of others needing to CONTROL and POSSESS our bodies.

This is an INSIDIOUS form of s*xual harassment that occurs even within seemingly progressive work settings and is often cloaked in friendly yet manipulative language.

NAMING this is the FIRST STEP toward making conscious DECISIONS around your workplace safety, ability to trust others, and possible alternative environments where you can LIVE, WORK and THRIVE.

I coach empathetic purpose-driven women in a variety of professional sectors, many of whom share the experience of others needing to CONTROL and POSSESS our ...

08/18/2024

End-of-Summer SELF-INVENTORY:

** Have you been a primary care-taker all summer and feel like a SHELL of yourself?

** Are you being EXPECTED to take on additional responsibilities at work w/o adequate compensation?

** Are you feeling PUSH-BACK when establishing boundaries within your personal or professional life?

If the answer is YES to any of these, it’s a THING --

HUMAN GIVER SYNDROME is the assumption that high-functioning, empathetic women are expected to give to humanity through their time, attention, affection, and bodies. This is in contrast to human BEINGS, who are celebrated for their achievements, leadership, and agency.

When human GIVERS attempt to care for themselves, they are harshly judged, penalized, and seen as selfish and entitled.

Naming and breaking down this socio-cultural construct is the FIRST STEP toward a more AUTHENTIC life centered around what YOU value most.

08/14/2024

** Exciting Podcast Season! **

STAY TUNED for my episode on “The EDGE of EVERY DAY” with artist, actor, and inter-faith theologian Sandra Bargman. I’ll be discussing my work on embodied social change, in my recently published chapter in Leadership at the Spiritual Edge (Routledge).

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-edge-of-everyday-with-sandra-bargman/id1740861679

08/14/2024

** Exciting Podcast Season! **

STAY TUNED for my episode on “ChristINSANITY” with psychologist and religious-trauma specialist, Dr. Britteny Doll. I’ll be discussing my doctoral research on systemic scapegoating and psychological abuse of Gen-X/Millennial clergy women.

https://christinsanity.podia.com/

08/13/2024

Sometimes you just need to DANCE💕

As an embodied leadership and life coach, I incorporate somatic practices in ways that help women METABOLIZE grief, RE-CLAIM self-worth, and ENACT healthy boundaries.

It is a life-long process of understanding one’s LIVED experience, and making CHOICES around what you VALUE most.

Enjoy this short movement phrase in celebration of summer turning into fall (a season known as Lughnasa in pre-Christian spirituality). As I build earth-cent...

08/08/2024

Thank you for all the love and support in celebration of this important new book!

*** BOOK RELEASE! *** I am honored to be a contributing author of LEADERSHIP AT THE SPIRITUAL EDGE: Emerging and Non-Western Concepts of Leadership and Spiri...

08/07/2024

Just participated in this important webinar series that addressed workplace TRAUMA and the THREE main factors of:

TOXIC leadership, ENABLING followers, and INADEQUATE systemic responses.

My doctoral research and coaching work address how these dynamics specifically affect EMPATHETIC, PURPOSE-DRIVEN women leaders.

Here are my ** 6 KEY FOCUS AREAS ** as I support women in their journeys of HEALING and RECOVERY.

If these resonate with you, you are NOT ALONE.

** Boundary Backlash:

Self-differentiated women leaders who exhibit healthy and appropriate boundaries are often perceived as selfish, difficult, and entitled, leading to intense bullying and scapegoating.

** Sacrificial Embrace:

The tendency to override experiences of psychological abuse because of a strong sense of call and purpose in one’s work. This is particularly harmful within care-giving professions that promote high levels of female self-sacrifice.

** Systemic Scapegoating:

Self-differentiated women leaders who have a strong sense of self and are not susceptible to group-think can face intense scapegoating among insecure leaders and colleagues.

** Mother-Daughter Wound:

Older women who have been deprived agency and voice in their own lives may resent younger women leaders who exhibit greater agency and decision-making power.

** Human Giver Syndrome:

Unsustainable expectations of female self-sacrifice in the workplace, home, and in society. When human givers seek to care or advocate for themselves, they are penalized and perceived as disruptive and self-centered.

** Psychological Abuse:

Ongoing workplace stress and dehumanizing treatment causes acute and chronic psychological distress, loss of confidence, feeling of desperation, depression and anxiety, as well as physical illness and trauma.

Learn more at www.lynnhoran.com

08/05/2024

So excited to have this book officially out in the world! And grateful to be part of such an amazing group of authors and scholars.

Check out my chapter "Activism, Performance, and Spiritual Ritual: The Roots of Embodied Social Change."

To learn more or to order a copy visit:
https://www.routledge.com/Leadership-at-the-Spiritual-Edge-Emerging-and-Non-Western-Concepts-of-Leadership-and-Spirituality/Raei-Guenther-Berkley/p/book/9781032500591

08/01/2024

In ancient Celtic tradition, August 1st was traditionally understood as the beginning of the harvest, with celebrations that honored the completion of the growing season.

At this half way point between the summer solstice and the fall equinox, the Gaelic festival of Lughnasadh (or Lughnasa) was also a funeral feast for the mother of the sun god Lugh, commemorating her death after her tireless labor clearing the land.

Wherever you find yourself, may this season offer an opportunity to:

** EXAMINE your commitments and determine which have come to COMPLETION and those you can let go of.
** RELEASE those relationships, ideas, and responsibilities that no longer serve you, so that NEW GROWTH can take root.
** MARVEL at the work you've accomplished, and give yourself PERMISSION to rest, restore, and renew.

In ancient Celtic tradition, August 1st was traditionally understood as the beginning of the harvest, with celebrations that honored the completion of the gr...

07/31/2024

Deeply thankful for last night's sunset yoga on the farm with Yoga with Tricia and Jayflora Designs🌸🌙🧘‍♀️

As an embodied leadership and life coach, I see RESILIENCE as a NON-LINEAR process, one that takes on different SHADES and HUES in the various spaces and relationships in our lives.

As we moved through last night's yoga practice, the jasmine scent of the night-blooming white tuberose was a powerful reminder that HEALING and WHOLENESS happens at the HORIZON💕

www.lynnhoran.com

07/28/2024

Graduation weekend was full of meaning, friendship, healing, and gratitude -- celebrating with my Antioch PhD colleagues, reuniting with my dear friends from seminary, retiring my clergy robe, and embracing this new path as a gender and leadership scholar and trauma-informed leadership and life coach for women.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and continues to support this work💕

07/25/2024

Rather than understand BOUNDARIES as a fixed line between humans, I've come to see boundaries as a space of "LIVED DISTANCE " based on the ever-fluid nature of human PERCEPTION.

I love coaching empathetic, purposed-driven women as we develop an empowered sense of lived distance from individuals whose perceptions do not align with our CORE SENSE OF SELF.

Rather that understand boundaries as a fixed line between humans, I've come to see boundaries as a space of "lived distance" based on the ever-fluid nature o...

07/23/2024

During this time of intense polarization, self-differentiated Gen-X/Millennial woman leaders are finding themselves in an extremely precarious leadership space. Whether you are an activist-oriented leader or a more tempered radical, you may experience intense push-back against your approach(es) to leadership as surrounding system anxiety builds.

To help PROTECT yourself during POLARIZING times:

** Be CLEAR about how you understand your own leadership role and communicate that with others

** Identify whether your organization's ADVOCACY channels and ACCOUNTABILITY structures are effective enough to support you

** Be MINDFUL of your own personal THRESHOLD for system anxiety (i.e. know when enough is enough)

** Develop a strong EXIT strategy to implement when needed

DM me to learn more OR to register for my Fall Coaching Series starting September 1st.

During this time of intense polarization, self-differentiated Gen-X/Millennial woman leaders are finding themselves in an extremely precarious leadership spa...

07/16/2024

Women leaders who are both EMPATHETIC and DECISIVE can experience push-to-leave forces as they negotiate conflicting gender narratives in their professional contexts.

The double-bind expectation of being both a RELATIONAL woman and an AGENTIC leader can challenge prevailing cultural norms of the self-sacrificial woman.

If you are experiencing executive derailment or elements of forced resignation due to these systemic issues, it is important to name these TOXIC dynamics and RE-CLAIM your leadership STRENGTHS alongside individuals and organizations that VALUE who you are and how you lead.

Women leaders who are both EMPATHETIC and DECISIVE can experience push-to-leave forces as they negotiate conflicting gender narratives in their professional ...

07/15/2024

Grateful to be offering this important NEW opportunity for EMPATHETIC, PURPOSE-DRIVEN women leaders who are currently experiencing or recovering from SCAPEGOATING and EXECUTIVE DERAILMENT in their work environments.

If you have felt TARGETED, pushed-out, or bullied by a small group of toxic individuals, this unique ONE-ON-ONE coaching program will help you:

** UNCOVER the social processes behind the SCAPEGOATING MECHANISM in our families of origin, social communities, and professional work places
** EXPLORE why empathetic, self-differentiated women leaders are specifically targeted
** ADVOCATE for yourself within potential scapegoating environments
** EQUIP yourself with INSIGHTS from mimetic theory, family systems theory, and relational cultural theory
** ENGAGE in EMBODIED HEALING practices that acknowledge victimization and trauma
** RE-CLAIM the personal STRENGTHS (and identify vulnerabilities) of the scapegoat
** RECONSTITUTE a healthy sense of self BEYOND harmful scapegoating behaviors and systems

Join me in this 3-month, 4-session individualized coaching journey, held over Zoom starting September 1st.

Click link below or DM me to learn more and apply! 5 spots available.

https://www.lynnhoran.com/scapegoat-series.html

07/13/2024

My coaching clients are PURPOSE-DRIVEN women who are intentionally working to OVERCOME the social conditioning of perfectionism, people-pleasing and over-functioning.

Personal and societal expectations of female self-sacrifice run deep in personal relationships, family systems, and professional life. The first step to breaking down these barriers to SELF-ACTUALIZATION is to ask yourself, what do I WANT and DESIRE?

In honor of Dr. Ruth Westheimer (1928-2024)

07/09/2024

EMPATHETIC and CARE-GIVING women leaders can experience a loss of SELF-PRESERVATION and may be more susceptible to gaslighting from those who seek to exploit or take advantage of their care-giving and compassionate approaches to leadership.

My research and coaching work focuses on DECONSTRUCTING gender expectations of the self-sacrificial woman, and building SUSTAINABLE relational and institutional practices that support empathetic, care-giving women leaders.

Empathetic women leaders can experience a loss of self-preservation and may be more susceptible to gaslighting from those who seek to exploit or take advanta...

07/07/2024

The end of the holiday weekend means SUMMER is officially upon us and for CARE-GIVERS and MOTHERS of young children, this can be DAUNTING.

As a women’s-centered leadership and life coach, I love working with empathetic, purpose-driven women who have highly evolved skill-sets, particularly in the season of SUMMERTIME MOTHERING.

This is for YOU💕

07/01/2024

Looking forward to my graduation from Antioch University's PhD Program in Leadership and Change!

Saturday, July 27th
LIVE STREAM:
https://www.antioch.edu/annual-events/commencement/gslc-commencement/

This year's graduation also celebrates the 25th anniversary of the program, under the incredible leadership Dr. Laurien Alexandre, and an exciting new chapter under the leadership of Dr. Amy Rutstein-Riley. I'm so grateful to have journeyed with both of these incredible leadership scholars and practitioners.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me along this PhD journey 💕👩‍🎓

06/25/2024

JOIN me for my PhD dissertation defense on Thursday, July 11th, 10am-Noon ET as I share my doctoral research "Feminized Servanthood, Gendered Scapegoating, and the Disappearance of Gen-X/Millennial Clergy Women."

Important crossover with executive derailment of women leaders in other care-giving professions including healthcare, education, and community development work.

Stay tuned for Zoom link!

06/20/2024

The Summer Solstice and the season of Litha is a time for making things VISIBLE. 🌞🌺🌿

As the sun reaches its fullest warmth and power, we have an opportunity to shed LIGHT on the areas of life that are often made invisible, particularly as it relates to women leaders, care-givers, and those in care-giving professions.

The season of Litha and the summer solstice is a time for making things visible. As the sun reaches its fullest warmth and power, we have an opportunity to s...

06/15/2024

This link should work🙂 (see previous post!)

This insightful book explores the intersection of spirituality and leadership, examining cutting edge research, theory, and practices that help build healthy and long‑term effective leadership. Showcasing non‑Western views of leadership across a range of backgrounds, the book looks at leadership...

06/14/2024

*** BOOK RELEASE! ***

I'm beyond excited to be a contributing author in the up-coming book LEADERSHIP AT THE SPIRITUAL EDGE (Routledge Publishing). It's an amazing collection of pieces on non-traditional views of the intersection of leadership and spirituality.

My chapter is "Activism, Performance, and Spiritual Ritual: The Indigenous Roots of Embodied Social Change," which shares my experience developing a dance therapy program for survivors of s*xual abuse in Huánuco , Peru. Thank you to my friends and colleagues at Paz y Esperanza and the Tamar Collective for inviting me to journey with you 💕

Pre-orders start TOMORROW and official release is JULY 5.
Click below and use this code to get a 20% discount: SMA22 (valid until 7/31).

This insightful book explores the intersection of spirituality and leadership, examining cutting edge research, theory, and practices that help build healthy and long‑term effective leadership. Showcasing non‑Western views of leadership across a range of backgrounds, the book looks at leadership...

06/07/2024

EMBODIED AWARENESS is a core part of my coaching practice with high-achieving, care-giving, purpose-driven women.

Whether one is processing grief and trauma in one’s personal life, or recovering from a toxic work environment, developing embodied healing practices help METABOLIZE the emotions held in our BODIES.

I’m incredibly grateful for my lifelong training in classical, modern, and contemporary dance, and the amazing teachers who have given me a strong foundation in EMBODIED and SOMATIC awareness.

Check out www.lynnhoran.com to learn more about my holistic approach to leadership coaching and my doctoral research on gender and embodied leadership.

06/03/2024

Thank you to the amazing women who participated in last night’s research OPEN HOUSE as I shared the findings of my PhD research on “Feminized Servanthood and Gendered Scapegoating of Gen-X/Millennial Women Leaders.”

The women shared important INSIGHTS from their own recovery journeys leaving toxic professional contexts:

** The need to create communities of CARE for women who are tired of being resilient.

** The tendency to OVERRIDE psychological abuse as “part of the job.”

** Helping women to “GET OUT” faster especially when financial need is a factor

** The importance of EMBODIED healing rituals that help METABOLIZE feelings of grief and trauma.

** Recognizing the ongoing process of RECONSTITUTING SELF after leaving dehumanizing work environments

If you’re feeling your BOUNDARIES are questioned, your COLLABORATIVE approach to leadership is rejected, or your sense of WELL-BEING is compromised, you may be experiencing a toxic workplace environment.

DM me to learn more or to join my Summer ’24 individualized coaching program!

05/21/2024

Are you a clergy woman (or care-giving professional) in CRISIS?

Join me in a 3-month WOMEN'S CENTERED coaching experience grounded in my PhD research on clergy women psychological safety and systemic scapegoating.

Are you...

** Feeling targeted, bullied or SCAPEGOATED within your pastoral call?
** Struggling to find your spiritual compass as you discern ALTERNATIVE pathways?
** Longing for a more healthy and sustainable vocation that AMPLIFIES your gifts and leadership skills?

I’ve been there and I’m here for you.

Enrolling NOW for Summer ’24 | Remote sessions on Zoom | Covered by continuing ed funds

DM me to learn more or visit:
www.lynnhoran.com/female-clergy
www.lynnhoran.com/research

05/17/2024

Such a joy to be in Seattle last week for my last doctoral residency with Antioch University's PhD Program in Leadership and Change. The past three years have been transformational in so many ways, thanks to these incredible colleagues and friends!

05/16/2024

Feeling grounded in the very bedrock of my being after journeying with my Spring ’24 Cohort of coaching clients!

Thank you for trusting me with your experiences and for the opportunity to do this LIFE-CHANGING work of nurturing women’s RESILIENCY and SELF-ACTUALIZATION.

The theme of TAKING UP SPACE emerged in a powerful way as each woman sought to:

** RE-WIRE conditioned responses of compliance and agreeability.
** Remove the stigma of female anger and EMBRACE the full range of human emotion.
** Question the DEFAULT reaction to shrink or disappear when faced with conflict.
** Create boundaries and DISTANCE from those who reject the space and agency we inhabit.
** Ground oneself in the value and power of one’s OWN EXISTENCE.

DM me to join my Summer '24 Cohort to reclaim your VOICE, VALUE + PURPOSE beyond toxic work, family, and religious systems.

3-Month coaching package includes 4 one-on-one Zoom sessions, tailored to individual needs and goals.

Learn more at www.lynnhoran.com/coaching