Inga Phoenix Kokalevská: Systemic-integral education for the new generation of transformational leaders is the bridge to our future

Inga Phoenix Kokalevská is one of the co-authors of the book “Women in the Modern Business World: A Plan on How to Lead Yourself to a Better Life”. In this interview she reveals more about what her chapter is about, giving us some valuable tips. Let’s follow together the story of a successful woman who already comes with added value, even as an author.

Can you tell us the feelings of being an author in this book, along with other inspiring women?

I feel very grateful for being invited to become one of the co-authors of this great book and being able to share our vision of transformational leadership and introduce the platform Generation Ф (which means Generation Phoenix) we created to support the new generation of transformational leaders.

I also believe that there should be more books with powerful, soul uplifting life stories like those of my fellow female co-authors. Ultimately, it’s a woman who stands behind the evolution of humanity, and it’s time for her to be aware of her role in society and use it more consciously and for a good purpose. Not in a fight against a man but only in a synergistic, meaningful collaboration with him. Not only a woman raises the new generation, but she also inspires a man and influences where his focus will be going. It means that she plays a significant role in setting standards in social interaction between people and influencing the direction of the economy (which is always a consequence of human activity based on our unfulfilled desires and needs). Therefore, the level of a woman’s spiritual and psychological literacy determines the future of the whole society and the direction in which it will be going.

If a woman desires a bigger diamond than her neighbor has, a man will draw his sword, throw away all other diamond seekers, and bring it to the feet of his beloved one. Shall a woman long for global peace and harmonious relationships between people, a man will connect with others and begin collaborating to ensure global peace. If a woman knows who she is and is fulfilled, raises her children in accordance with who they are, loves them unconditionally, and teaches them to love and deeply care about other people, we will have a society based on love, compassion and cooperation, and not a society where people envy each other and compete.

How did you get the invitation to write in this book, and which were your first ideas for your chapter?

I visited one of the meetings of the Global Woman Club London where I talked about the need of raising the new generation of transformational leaders, and introduced our concept of transformational leadership. Giovana Vega, the lovely Director of the Global Woman Club Amsterdam called me after the meeting and asked me to become one of the co-authors of the book they were planning, “Women in the Modern Business World: A Blueprint on How to Lead Yourself to a Better Life”.

Though I didn’t so much consider myself a businesswoman, seeing myself rather as a mentor in the field of transformational leadership, I wanted to support other women with my contribution. I found it essential to share our message specifically during the global pandemic. But I could only write about the ideas that lead us all, as a society, to a more conscious and meaningful life, as our approach is not about any individualistic welfare based on personal success, wealth, career, health, relationships, or the amount of knowledge. It was clear to me that I would write about our mission and the urgent need of raising the new generation of transformational leaders who will shake up the status quo, set new trends for the young generation, and help transform the world towards an integral, truly united at all levels society – the one in which all its diverse members see themselves as part of a whole and voluntarily choose to serve it with an altruistic approach instead of using the system for egoistic needs.

What was the most “spicy” comment you received after the publication?

It was a skeptical question whether there was any chance that global leaders will finally get it, that there is no future for any state without that kind of transformational leadership I described in this book. I responded that they would have to, sooner or later. But at the moment, we as humans are still far away from a systemic understanding of a cause-effect relationship. Coronavirus turned world leaders into “operational managers”, who issue all kinds of regulations concerning shutting down shops and services or distribution of vaccines and who forgot that leadership is about connecting people under a strong vision and leading them to a better future. People need leaders who will connect them, and not “clerks” who just keep saying “Wash your hands and follow hygiene rules.” People can bear almost any “how”, if they know their “why”.

As you continue to engage in your career, how do you look upon the new generation and their leadership skills?

The young generation will be more and more searching for spirituality, as the main request from the collective unconsciousness will be now pushing them to discover the meaning of life. They will now more than ever before ask “why?” and look for activities that make sense to them. They want to leave an impact in this world fulfilling their highest potential. They are looking for their communities and not single authorities. They’ll need a reformed system of education corresponding to the needs of the new era. Technology and AI will free up time for them and give them opportunities to explore new areas. They will want to create value and sustainability, and not consume brands. They will be very selective and demanding in choosing their information resources pushing mass media to a more responsible approach. Rather than consuming social media as much as before, they will be looking for their “tribes”, new ideas, meaningful connections, and collaborations.

Leaders of the new era will have to be great psychologists, communicators, and educators who will understand the principles of the universe, how all particles are interconnected and why. And they will make it their mission to raise the young generation following that. They will serve and synergistically collaborate at transdisciplinary, trans sectoral, and transnational levels. Therefore, these are the leadership styles needed for the new era: transformational (altruistic), systemic-integral (cause-effect), and collaborative (synergistic) leadership.

How do you choose to spend your free time?

I choose to spend time with my son and husband and our Generation Ф tribe.  To be honest, we don’t divide “work” and “free time” as we see our mission, family, and continuous work on our “humanization” as interlocking parts of a lifelong journey we feel so passionate about. We’re just daily trying (falling and getting up again) to build a micro model of what we want to see in this world. What we practice in our family and our team is just what we can do best on our part to cultivate the culture that we would like to transfer to a larger society.

What would you say is the best way to get the younger generation encouraged?

When I was ready, two exceptional teachers entered my life and helped me realize why I came to this world. Since then, psychoanalysis and spirituality became a strong life source for me and my team. Now, it’s our mission to pass on to others everything we were gifted in life. We at Generation Ф are dedicated to supporting the new generation of transformational leaders as we find their education to be the bridge to the future, and a new system of educating people is vital for starting changing the status quo of our society.

We believe that it’s time to start addressing the new generation in a smarter way, targeting them not as consumers, but rather investing in a new system of education and raising future leaders. If we don’t go this way, the increasing statistics of depressions, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, panic attacks, and other mental health issues will be even higher. Young people will need support and the right environment for collaborations at a higher level.

It’s important to understand the values of the upcoming era and learn the needs of the new generation, so we can approach them with their language and build communication based on what they are looking for. We should know the answers for their “why?” and offer them a platform for a quality dialogue and collaboration. It means providing them with innovative systemic-integral education and a group of committed transformational leaders from different professional fields who will become guides and new role models for the young generation, and set new trends using state-of-the-art communication tools. In our opinion, this is the way to go for the global society to step into the next level of our evolution.