The Topic
In this opening session of the Soul & Work series, Simon will draw on the collective inquiry that has given rise to this series and explore the origins of both soul and work: how these concepts have been shaped by religious, philosophical and economic traditions, and how their meanings are continuing to evolve in the present ecosystems.
The session will introduce themes emerging from the Soul at Work gathering in Reus, Spain (2025), where an international community reflected on the challenges and possibilities of soul in contemporary workplaces. The spirit of that gathering will inform this conversation, opening questions about meaning, value, relationality and responsibility in working life.
This foundational webinar will invite participants to reflect on work in all its forms - paid and unpaid, visible and invisible - and to engage with both its dignifying and damaging dimensions.
As our workplaces are constantly being reshaped, the human element of work will require renewed attention. This session will open a space to consider how soul might be reclaimed as a relational, ethical and ecological practice - one that reconnects work to community, planet and future generations.
The Agenda
In the first half of the webinar, Simon will make his presentation and facilitate initial responses.
In the second half, we'll move into a reflection-application session:
- 'Composting': experienced peers work the material in small groups to sprout new ideas;
- 'Weaving': attendees gather to collectively reflect and question, weaving our experiences together;
- Discuss how we will apply learnings to our personal practice in Reflection Application Pairs (RAPs).
The Speaker
Dr. Simon Western is the CEO and Founder of the Eco-Leadership Institute Ltd. He is a leading academic and practitioner in coaching and leadership. A past president of the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations (ISPSO), Director of Coaching and Organizational Masters courses at leading universities, Simon is sole author of Leadership: A Critical Text (3rd ed., Sage 2019) and Coaching and Mentoring: A Critical Text (Sage 2012). Simon leads the popular Edgy Ideas podcast, in which he explores how social change, technology, and environmental issues impact how we live and who we are in our disruptive age. He has designed a unique Diploma in Leadership Coaching, founded on the Five-Frame Eco-Leadership System, which he developed through years of extensive experience in diverse organizations, coaching, and leadership. All of Simon’s work emerges from a critical and ethical perspective, a belief that our collective task is to work in ‘good faith’ to build the ‘good society’.
If you purchase a ticket but can't make it in real-time, a recording will be shared with you after the webinar.