Partnering with Leaders on their Insight journey
Partnering with Leaders on their Insight journey
Leadership is lonely at the best of times. When we’re also on a pathway to transformation we need trusted partners alongside us. The journey of insight can be liberating and inspirational but also invites us to look deeply, challenge assumptions that we may have held for many years and to let go of what is no longer serving. The journey has its highs and lows, its moments of joy and moments of despair and moments of utter confusion. We are not meant to walk this path alone.
Our Mentors
Ian Sneath
View biography
After living in a Zen retreat centre for two years; insights come. My life path had been ill-considered. Most entrepreneurs have incredible spirit. But where is this energy directed? Are we happy right now? As an entrepreneurial business owner, caught in the world model of having & doing instead of being, I had taken a path that was hurting me & others. This wrong view came from not understanding who I was; my mind was too busy. why; because I was running into the future, away from my difficult past. Our society is perfectly set up to do this.
I have witnessed & experienced amazing transformation through mindful insight. Wisdom connection is essential to a happier life. We have become separated & individualistic which causes us disconnection. It’s a constant practice as I have not changed & have changed. Many ingrained neural pathways still exist for me to take care of. My volition now, is to empower expanding consciousness in leaders, Innovate eco, social, sustainable mindful communities & retreat centres to alleviate the separation and loneliness that has developed in our society. Assist & relieve the individual & collective restlessness by providing supportive mindful wisdom programmes to enrich life, build self esteem and help calm busy minds. With concrete practices endorsed by many neuroscientist, we can change our brain; thus cultivating more joy, love, compassion and understanding. We can then potentially start to reverse the damage done to ourselves; our loved ones; our relationships & Mother Earth.
How – To help share innate ancient wisdom through interactive mindful leadership courses. To innovate a land & Property fund so as to allow mindful, wise communities & retreat centres to flourish; to give the opportunity for us all to stop & look deeply; to find our real why; & path in life; as I have been so blessed to have been able to do.
Helping others find their real purpose is also a big passion. The joy, freedom and peace that comes with this is immeasurable. Contentment comes from within; we struggle to find contentment externally.
I discovered my spiritual leader Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh some years ago. His key mindfulness teachings are unsurpassed. Together with the experience and skills developed helps me to follow a path of wellbeing, focussed planning and increased day to day happiness with these concrete steps. This manifests from finding out what life we really want to live.
Moensch Micha (Br. Freedom)
View biography
Moensch Micha, also known as Brother Freedom, is an old soul with Croatian roots and a German upbringing. His professional journey encompasses studies in alternative medicine, work as a naturopath, and VIP guest services, however, his life took a profound turn when he stumbled upon Thich Nhat Hanh on a book cover during a period of personal healing.This encounter prompted him to reevaluate his life. He decided to leave his career, sell all his belongings, and embark on a transformative journey to Plum Village in France in 2010, where he was ordained as a Buddhist monk. In the subsequent years, he continued his monastic life at Blue Cliff Monastery in New York and Deer Park Monastery in California, serving as acting abbot and a Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation board member.
In 2024, he retired from the Plum Village community to share the teachings and practices outside the monastery. His mission has taken him to various places, including Allianz, Google, Meta, Salesforce, Siemens, and the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he imparts mindfulness practices. Merging Mediterranean charm with German virtues, he creates warm and safe physical and spiritual spaces. Passionate about the transformative power of applied mindfulness practices, he conveys accessible insights into understanding the mind and daily meditation practices in easy and playful ways. Known for his open-hearted approach and occasional foot-in-mouth moments, he encourages everyone not to take themselves too seriously. He offers a unique blend of ancient wisdom and modern insights, making mindfulness easily accessible.
Jem Fredhamn
View biography
Jem Fredhamn is an internationally recognized speaker, author, and teacher specializing in the Art of Living in the Present Moment through Buddhist mindfulness practice. With a unique blend of joy, warmth, and grounded wisdom, Jem offers transformative teachings and practices that inspire and empower individuals to live more fully and mindfully.
Born and raised in Stockholm, Jem began his journey into meditation during the 1990s while studying law at the University of Lund. After exploring a career in family law for four years, his heart led him on a profound path to India, where he discovered Buddhism, Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay), and Plum Village.
Ordained as a monk for 18 years, Jem lived in France and California with the name Chan Phap Ho (True Dharma Protector). Since 2010, he has been an internationally active Dharma teacher and served as the abbot of Deer Park Monastery in California for many years. Throughout his monastic life, Jem co-led and participated in mindfulness retreats with Thay and fellow monastics across three continents. His dedication to mentorship, teaching, and supporting both young monastics and lay practitioners has been a cornerstone of his work.
Jem also contributed to the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation Board since its inception in 2011 and was an advocate of engaged Buddhism. Deeply committed to social change, he played an instrumental role in the True Freedom Pen Pal program, connecting with incarcerated individuals in the US. In 2013, Jem began writing his blog Earth Protection Here & Now and organized Earth Holder retreats from 2014 until his departure from Deer Park Monastery in 2020.
In 2018, Jem faced a life-changing challenge when he was diagnosed with stage 4 malignant melanoma. Remarkably, he healed and shared his story in his book, Healing is Possible – My Journey Through Cancer (currently available only in Swedish). In 2020, Jem returned to Sweden, disrobed, found love, and married, marking a new chapter in his life.
Jem continues to inspire and support individuals worldwide in their journey toward mindfulness, healing, and living with purpose.
Heather Monro
View biography
An accredited executive coach and leadership consultant with a passion for expanding leadership consciousness, transforming the way we do business and contributing to a more joyful, sustainable and equitable world.
Born in London, I grew up in environments characterised by aspiration and the pursuit of excellence and where success was measured in academic achievements, awards, and certificates. After graduating from Cambridge University with 1st class honours I found myself questioning if there was more to being human than chasing career success and wealth. I stepped off the career production line and went where my heart was drawing me to; the wilderness. I spent the next 15 years as a world-medal winning athlete in orienteering, adventure racing and wilderness running.
On retirement from the pursuit of international sporting success I embarked on sharing my deepening interest and personal insight into the psychology of optimal performance to help others flourish. But after 10 years of ‘successful’ leadership consultancy and executive coaching I was restless and questioning my contribution. My clients were delighted with improvements in their personal productivity and wellbeing but the world was still heading into economic, social and ecological collapse. I realised that so many in the field of coaching and leadership development were just helping leaders to survive in broken systems. From that moment on my mission has been to help leaders transform the systems.
I am passionate about expanding the field of leadership consciousness and reimagining the way we do business. Through my deep personal connection to nature and my own journey of opening my heart, looking deeply, mindfulness practice and conscious growth I’ve developed a ‘ruthless compassion’ and deep sense of interbeing that I bring to all my work. I love nothing more than creating a space where leaders can embrace vulnerability, grapple with questions with no obvious answers and challenge conventional operating norms. When we connect with our true essence and remove limiting assumptions, we can bring fresh ideas to life, lead more authentic and fulfilling careers and transform our organisations , thereby contributing to a more joyful, sustainable and equitable world.
- ILM L7 PGDip in Executive Coaching
- StageSHIFT Certified Coach (Vertical Development)
- Mindfulness Association Practitioner Certificate
- Working languages: English, Norwegian, Swedish
Leadership embodied Agreement
Embodying Presence, Integrity, and Compassion in the Workplace
Dear Friend in Leadership,
Thank you for your aspiration to lead from presence, clarity, and compassion.
This gentle agreement is an invitation for us to walk together in a way that honours the whole human being—one who cares for self, family, community, and the organisation entrusted to their guidance.
Leadership, in the spirit of Zen master Thích Nhất Hạnh, is never separate from life.
How we breathe, listen, relate, and show up in our personal world naturally shapes how we lead in our professional one.
This agreement supports you in embodying your values so that leadership becomes a lived expression of wisdom and compassion.
1. Caring for Self and Family Comes First
We agree to honour the truth that a leader’s presence begins at home.
- When we rest, we restore clarity.
- When we care for our body and emotions, we cultivate steadiness.
- When we nourish our closest relationships, we strengthen trust, compassion, and true connection.
- A leader who is grounded in their own well-being becomes a refuge for others.
2. Embodying Practice in Daily Leadership
We agree to bring mindfulness and compassion into our work environment through:
- Mindful breathing before making important decisions
- Pausing instead of reacting
- Listening deeply to colleagues, teams, and stakeholders
- Speaking with clarity and kindness
- Creating spaciousness in meetings, dialogue, and planning
- Letting go of unhelpful patterns of fear, urgency, or defensiveness
- Recognising that our presence is our most powerful form of leadership
- These practices help us cultivate psychological safety, thoughtful communication, and wise action
3. Leading from Integrity, Purpose, and Transparency
We agree to:
- Align leadership decisions with our deepest values
- Honour ethical conduct in all interactions
- Model humility and openness
- Welcome feedback as a path to growth
- Hold ourselves accountable with compassion, not judgement
- Act from purpose rather than ego, status, or fear
- Integrity is not an ideal—it is a daily practice of alignment.
4. Creating Cultures of Trust and Safety
We agree to foster a workplace where:
- People feel seen and valued
- Differences are respected
- Mistakes are met with understanding
- Communication is open and honest
- Collaboration is more important than competition
- Compassion guides our leadership choices
- When leaders embody safety, teams thrive.
5. Navigating Conflict with Courage and Compassion
We agree to meet conflict with:
- Curiosity instead of blame
- Understanding instead of judgement
- Listening instead of defending
- Steadiness instead of reactivity
- Insight instead of forceWe practice transforming difficulty into understanding, and understanding into wise, compassionate action.
6. Holding Our Leadership Journey with Gentleness
We agree to remember:
- Leadership is a practice, not a perfection
- Some days are strong and spacious; some are tender and overwhelmed
- Growth requires patience
- We are allowed to begin again at any moment
- Our humanity is not an obstacle to leadership—it is the gateway
7. Mutual Respect, Confidentiality, and Trust
Everything shared in our leadership sessions is held in trust and confidentiality, except where required by law.
We both commit to showing up with honesty, respect, and a willingness to explore the deeper layers of leadership, self, and purpose.
8. Ending and Beginning with Freedom
You may pause or end our time together whenever you wish. Leadership unfolds in seasons, and each season has its own wisdom.
We walk this path with openness, kindness, and a shared aspiration to serve the world with clarity, courage, and love.