The Return of the Cacicas

A Call for Intersectional Leadership

I believe women from marginalized groups are called to lead the change in the world by transforming the dynamics of power within it.

People who self-identify or have been socialized as women, and also consider themselves people of color, immigrants, and/or belonging to the Queer community, are better equipped to understand and challenge the subtle (and not so subtle) forms of systemic oppression and discrimination of our current society. They can tap into the intrinsic leadership features of our pre-colonial indigenous female leaders to change things at a systemic level.  

The Cacica approach to leadership:

I am using the term Cacica in this article to represent such leaders.

The term Cacica originated with the Taino people in the Caribbean. This term was used to describe women in leadership roles known for their wisdom, strength, fairness, inclusive decision-making, sustainable resource management, holistic vision, and ability to make decisions to protect the environment and the well-being of the whole community. 

Even though detailed historical records of pre-colonial indigenous societies in the Americas are often scarce, there are some relevant examples of pre-colonial indigenous cultures in which women in leadership positions made a significant impact in protecting the well-being of their community and leading them with inclusivity and fairness.

For instance, Anacaona, a Taíno cacica (chief) who lived in what is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is remembered for her efforts to resist Spanish colonization and protect the culture of her people. Cacica Gaitana was a Paez indigenous leader from Colombia who played a crucial role in resisting Spanish colonization by advocating for unity among indigenous groups to resist oppression. Wilma Mankiller was the first woman to serve as the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1985 to 1995 and focused on community development, healthcare, and education. Deborah Parker, a member of the Tulalip Tribes, has been an advocate for Native American women's rights and the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Her efforts helped bring attention to the high rates of violence against Native women and contributed to legislative changes to better protect indigenous women.

Indigenous women throughout history embraced leadership with a holistic approach; viewing themselves as interconnected with nature, community, and spirituality. Their leadership was community-centered, inclusive, and democratic. They drew upon spiritual and cultural wisdom, displayed resilience, and advocated for resources and environmental stewardship. Their leadership styles were influenced by a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of all aspects of life, and their decision-making often involved consensus-building and collaboration within the community. Also, indigenous women leaders often displayed resilience and adaptability in the face of external challenges, including colonization and cultural disruption. They found ways to navigate and resist external pressures while preserving their communities' values and ways of life. These leaders were caretakers, educators, resistors, and advocates, creating a rich tapestry of leadership styles.

We are all Cacicas: women are game-changers

The good news is that these leadership traits are not exclusive to women with an indigenous background. Many studies show that women in politics tend to prioritize issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, care for the young and elderly, equitable healthcare, and economic and environmental justice, among other topics that are often marginalized in male-dominated spaces. 

Conscious women leaders not only enhance the democratic fabric of societies and ensure that the needs of all individuals are adequately addressed but also drive better results and policy effectiveness in the public sector, non-profits, and businesses.

According to the Harvard Business Review, women working in leadership positions were found to have scored higher than men in twelve of sixteen key leadership qualities–including collaboration, resilience, taking initiative, and thinking outside the box. Additionally, having female C-Suite executives significantly boosts profitability, as revealed in a 2016 survey of 21,980 companies across 91 countries conducted by the Petersen Institute for International Economics. There’s also strong evidence that higher female representation leads to higher business performance.

So, having highly conscious women in executive positions not only leads to a more inclusive, just, collaborative, and innovative organization, but it also leads to better performance and profitability.

The anti-leadership paradigm brought by colonization

Colonization brought forth paradigms like patriarchy, white supremacy, and consumerist capitalism. These forces still influence the leadership paradigms today by ensuring power structures that are most frequently male-centric, amoral, authoritarian, individualistic, profit-first, and have an over-reliance on linear thinking and data.

Patriarchy:

Expectations around leadership behaviors, assertiveness, and decisiveness can be gendered; favoring traits traditionally associated with masculinity. This can create barriers for women and non-binary individuals aspiring to leadership positions. Also. traditional leadership models have often been hierarchical and authoritarian, reflecting patriarchal structures where power is concentrated at the top. This reinforces gender norms and contributes to the marginalization of women in leadership roles.

White Supremacy:

Leadership models influenced by white supremacy may carry cultural biases that prioritize Eurocentric values, norms, and communication styles. This can marginalize leaders from non-white backgrounds, hindering diversity and inclusion efforts. In some cases, organizations may embrace diversity initiatives superficially, engaging in tokenism rather than genuinely addressing systemic issues. This approach perpetuates structures that maintain white dominance in leadership roles.

Consumerist Capitalism:

In a consumerist capitalist framework, business leaders prioritize profit maximization and shareholder value, focusing excessively on market demands and consumer preferences, sometimes at the expense of broader social responsibilities and potentially at the expense of social and environmental considerations. This focus may result in decisions that prioritize short-term gains over long-term sustainability and ethical considerations.

Also, capitalist ideologies often emphasize individual success and competition. Leadership models influenced by these ideologies may prioritize individual achievements over collective well-being, often producing a cutthroat and competitive organizational culture.

What is missing?

Although we now have more women in executive positions, and even though it has been shown that women make for better leaders both in politics and in business, we are still facing major issues related to systemic oppression and discrimination. In addition, many businesses consciously or unconsciously nurture an organizational culture of competitiveness, power-over dynamics, top-down, commanding-and-controlling behavior, and narrowed vision and performance that, at best, has proven to be ineffective in addressing systemic social issues and solving our most pressing social and environmental problems.

This is because even women leaders who come from historically marginalized groups and are aware of the different forms of structural oppression and discrimination are still working within the power dynamics of the system and playing within its rules.

Doing “good things” within the system is not enough. Creating DEI programs, promoting more women to leadership positions, making decision-making processes more inclusive, and fostering fairness will make some difference. But without deeply understanding the complexities of power structures and dynamics, and without changing the patterns of interactions of all the elements of the system, it will not shake the system at its core.

Women leaders, especially those coming from unprivileged backgrounds, experience an existential cognitive dissonance between their level of social consciousness, values, and beliefs and the need to constantly prove themselves to be the right fit for the position and having to “lead like a man” to be taken seriously. We have little room for experimentation, reinvention, innovation, and wondering in a system that has all the rules set in stone and punishes anything or anyone who tries to rock the boat.

Furthermore, trying to shake the system without truly understanding what keeps a system in place, without doing the inner work of freeing our mind from internalized oppression, limiting beliefs and unmanaged emotions, and without having the right leadership skills to engage and holistically transform the whole system, will lead to setting ourselves up for frustration and even failure.

Leadership models that challenge these systems often emphasize collaboration, empathy, inclusivity, and a broader consideration of social and environmental impacts. Transformational and servant leadership, for example, seek to move away from hierarchical power structures and prioritize the well-being of individuals and communities. Additionally, there is an increasing recognition of the value of diverse leadership styles and the importance of fostering inclusive organizational cultures. 

The Rise of the Intersectional Leader

Whether women of color, immigrants, identifying as part of the Queer community, and/or neurodiverse, women who are serving as executives have a unique advantage to take on the dynamics of power within their organizations and make a true impact: They have a calling for change that comes from their personal and collective stories and they have the power and the resources to make the change. 

But a calling and the capacity to make things happen is only the starting point.

We need to become what I call Intersectional Leaders - which means leading with a systemic perspective and from a place of conscious leadership.

Intersectional leaders embrace a more equitable, decentralized, and empowering leadership approach to create an organizational culture that is more inclusive, conscious, and adaptive without sacrificing profitability and growth. 

An Intersectional leadership approach combines three unique paradigms necessary for leading deep systemic change: feminism, neuroscience, and complexity science. 

Feminism: Breaking Free from Mental Chains

Let's start by decolonizing minds. A feminist approach is the key to breaking free from the chains of patriarchy, white supremacy, and consumerist capitalism. By challenging limiting beliefs and fostering inclusivity, leaders can create a culture that celebrates diversity and equality.

Neuroscience: Mastering the Indomable Mindset

Neuroscience unravels the mysteries of the mind. Leaders can tap into an "Indomable Mindset," a conscious choice to control thoughts, feelings, and actions. This mindset fosters resilience, adaptability, and sustainable change within organizations and society.

Complexity Science: Navigating Uncharted Waters

Traditional leadership treats organizations as machines, falling short in the face of complexity. A complexity-based approach equips leaders with the skills to navigate unpredictable systems, tapping into collective intelligence and creativity to address complex problems effectively.

Are you being called to change the system?

If you feel the calling to take on systemic change, you have the courage and the humility to ask for help, and you are willing to change yourself first. I would love to talk!

I have worked my entire life teaching women without power how to fight the system for their rights, and I will continue to do so. But now I am called to coach women with power to become Intersectional Leaders and change the damn system.

If you want to explore with me what this dare would look like for you, please book an introductory call with me here.