Conscious Impact

Susanne von der Becke isthe founder of VDB Insights, where she supports changemakers in their journeysto create social and environmental impact through mindfulness-based workshopsand retreats. A former investment banker with extensive experience as an activeinvestor and board member, she applies her expertise in finance and leadershipto drive meaningful change.Susanne is an alumna of Harvard BusinessSchool, holds a Ph.D. in Science from ETH Zurich, and degrees from The LondonSchool of Economics and Political Science. She is a certified MindfulnessMeditation Teacher, trained by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, and accredited bythe Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Additionally, she is acertified Breath Coach, using transformational breath journeys to accelerateinner transformation for greater wellbeing and effective leadership.Previously serving as the Chairwoman of TheKlosters Forum, Susanne has been actively involved in environmental advocacyfor many years. In 2015, she was honored as a "Rising Talent" by the Women'sForum for the Economy & Society, recognizing her contributions to fosteringimpactful change.

• IntroductionPART ONE: The Lost ConnectionCHAPTER 1: OurInner and Outer Crises Are ConnectedOur Outer CrisesA Crisis of BeingCHAPTER 2: EmergingNew Leadership SkillsNavigatingComplexityNew LeadershipSkillsPART TWO: Reconnecting with Body, Mind,and HeartRECONNECTING ON THE LEVEL OF THE BODYCHAPTER 3: Week 1 |Cultivating Presence and AwarenessEntering thePresent MomentAwakening YourSensesThe Healing Powerof SilenceEverything isTemporaryThis Precious LifeSetting Up YourMeditation PracticeGoing Deeper: Understanding Your Nervous SystemQuestions andExercisesDaily MeditationOptional BreathworkCHAPTER 4: Week 2 | Sensing Our InterbeingInterbeing withNatureInterbeing withOthersIndividual andCollective TraumaYour BodyRemembersHealing andRegenerationGoing Deeper: Introduction to Regenerative BusinessQuestions andExercisesDaily MeditationOptional BreathworkReconnectingon the level of the mindCHAPTER 5: Week 3 | Cultivating an OpenMindMeeting YourMonkey MindUnderstanding YourPatternsNo Bad FeelingsWorking withThoughts and EmotionsNo Mud, No LotusA Closer Look atGrief, Rage, Anxiety, and ShameGoing Deeper: Inquiry to Transform Limiting BeliefsQuestions andExercisesDaily MeditationOptional BreathworkCHAPTER 6: Week 4 | Being Comfortable withDiscomfortThe Unreal OthersForgivingOurselves and OthersEmbracing theDon't Know MindLeading into theUnknownTrusting theProcessGoing Deeper:Working with ForgivenessQuestions andExercisesDaily MeditationOptional BreathworkRECONNECTING ON THE LEVEL OF THE HEARTCHAPTER 7: Week 5 |Cultivating an Open HeartThe Power ofKindnessCompassion MeansActionBringing Back theJoyBecoming PorousIncreasingResilienceGoing Deeper:Rewire Your Brain with GoodnessQuestions andExercisesDaily MeditationOptional BreathworkCHAPTER 8: Week 6 | Leading with PurposeLiving withPurpose is a ProcessCreating Meaningthrough ServiceBecoming Love inActionLetting Go: TooImportant to Be SeriousGoing Deeper:Meeting a Wise BeingQuestions andExercisesDaily MeditationOptional BreathworkConclusionEndnotesAcknowledgmentsAbout the Author

"Susanne offers wise and helpful perspectives and practices for leaders in this challenging time."Jack Kornfield author of A Path With Heart"This book masterfully bridges the worlds of business leadership and contemplative wisdom, offering a practical 6-week roadmap for leaders seeking to effectively impact our complex and often frustrating world."Christiana Figueres, Co-founder of Global Optimism, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change 2010-2016, co-author of The Future We Choose "Leading a company as a CEO in today's unpredictable world demands a great deal of care-both for yourself and for those around you. Staying mentally strong and aligned with your personal values is key and a skill that can be cultivated. Susanne's new book is the ideal practical guide for any leader looking to embark on the journey toward 'mindful leadership'." Sabine Busse, CEO Hager Group "In times of turmoil and confusion, changing the way we go forward is much more about the 'how' than the 'what'. This book gives a comprehensive approach and good hints for so many people feeling lost. It addresses the current emptiness of the word 'leadership' by emphasizing that it is, first and foremost, a journey in the company of others towards humility and courage."Carlos Alvarez Pereira, Secretary General of The Club of Rome "What's gotten leaders here will not get them to the 'there' the world needs now. Conscious Impact delivers the expanded toolkit modern leaders need to navigate the shifting terrain of creating impact and building success for the journey ahead. Through vivid stories, clear images, and thoughtful exercises, Dr. von der Becke maps the path-and guides the mindsets-for bringing true humanity to the role of leadership. It's a one-stop handbook to the essential changes shaping leadership excellence as we face the future."Ellen Petry Leanse, Neuroscience Educator, Life Impact Coach, and Author of The Happiness Hack "The perilous times we are witnessing require an evolutionary step up by leaders everywhere. We clearly will not build a flourishing world for people and planet by using the same extractive and destructive logic that has become mainstream. Conscious Impact gets straight to this evolutionary need by embedding the business acumen and existential awareness that are Susanne von der Becke's hallmarks. Few authors truly understand both worlds the way she does. I strongly recommend not only reading it, but using it frequently as a source of knowledge and wisdom for the challenging years ahead."Marcello Palazzi, Entrepreneur for human progress, Co-Founder & Executive Chair, Leaders for Good; Co-Founder, B Lab Europe "Many conscious leaders, including myself, are convinced that systems change does not happen without inner transformation, without a mindset shift within ourselves, our organizations, and the people we work with. I refer to this as 'mindset shift for systems change' or 'cosmic dance between inner and outer transformation'. Susanne has created a compelling and inspiring book for business leaders, who want to explore this dance, who have decided to cultivate clarity, resiliency, and heartfulness--necessary ingredients for leading, co-creating, and co-envisioning our future. In the book, Susanne is offering a practical toolbox, including guided meditations, various breath exercises, meaningful questions, and insightful nudges for reflections--accessible to beginners as well as experienced practitioners. This is a must read for any business leader, who has the desire and intention to co-create the biggest transformation humanity has ever experienced, the transformation from an extractive economic and financial system to a regenerative one."Charly Kleissner PhD; Co-Founder Toniic, TWIST, and the KL Felicitas Foundation; full member of the Club of Rome