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 PhD

Narrated by: Pavini Moray PhD

Essential skills for today's leaders: learn how to embody your ethics, earn your team's trust, and dismantle toxic work culture

Leaders 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 to:

• Nurture trust with clients and coworkers
• Ground and re-center when you’re thrown off by a mistake or problem
• Soothe the “Ouch!” of negative feedback
• Break away from grind and hustle culture
• Turn workplace conflict into a source of positive change and growth
• Help your employees voice their own needs and feel heard
• Understand the nuances of consent beyond contract negotiations
• Gracefully acknowledge mistakes
• Repair relationships with employees, colleagues, and clients

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.

©2023 Pavini Moray, PhD (P)2023 North Atlantic Books

Critic reviews

"This book addresses one of the biggest challenges of leadership: how to hold on to your humanity while maintaining empathy for those you lead, all while meeting your bottom line. Written with clarity and warmth, the book shares best practices through powerful examples and transformative easy-to-access exercises." —Nir Eyal, author of Hooked and Indistractable

"Weaving experiential practice with hard-won insight, Pavini has written a book that will be indispensable for anyone who wants to lead in a powerful, embodied way." —David Treleaven, PhD, author of Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness

"Chock-full of effective and practical suggestions for how to deal with workplace triggers and conflict, How to Hold Power will help you develop a meaningful leadership practice....this is a must-read book for every leader who wants to hold their power with skills and grace." —Becky Margiotta, author of Impact with Integrity and cofounder of the Billions Institute