NORA INFANTE PSY.D.

Some thirty years ago I received a Masters degree in psychology designed around the then fledgling field of Ecopsychology. It was not part of the mainstream world of clinical or research psychology, but instead examined various aspects of the intersection of nature and psychology as exist in anthropology, environmental studies, literature, feminism, philosophy, and of course psychology. The head of the program aimed to instill in his students a rigorous examination of these intersections in hopes of inspiring us towards new insights, new models and practices that would result in a profound cultural shift towards a conscious relationship with nature versus a neglect of nature. 

 

A decade later I became a licensed clinical psychologist and eventually a full-time corporate psychologist. I now devote most of my professional time to executive coaching. My work with senior executives and teams focuses on the development and application of emotional intelligence in leadership for maximum levels of effectiveness at both the individual and at the group level.

Over years of helping leaders develop their self-awareness and self-management skills I learned that putting emotional intelligence into practice effectively requires the ability to be still before reacting, to curb one’s impulses, and to move forward with clarity and deliberation. Easier said than done. Mindfulness meditation has been the primary vehicle by which these types of skills find purchase. But many of my clients greatly struggled with adhering to meditation. Many found it nearly impossible to quiet their minds long enough to feel any reward that would result in a deeper commitment to the practice. 

 

Reflecting on my own nature practices and ecopsychology training, instead of traditional mindfulness meditation, I began assigning mindfulness nature observation. The research demonstrates nearly identical effects on the brain as meditation.

 

This pivot in focus has changed my personal and professional world. Delving into the field of biomimicry and the science of neurobiophilia has exponentially deepened my commitment to emotional intelligence and nature. Taken together, these intersecting relationships do indeed offer exciting new models and practices. It is a never-ending work in progress, but my “Time, Perspective, Equilibrium and Calibration” model has given me a vehicle by which to create core practices for leaders based in nature. I now explicitly and implicitly integrate biomimetic leadership into virtually all of my individual and senior team work.

 

It took many years for these disparate and seemingly different threads of my career to come together… but here we are… and I couldn’t be more fully convinced this approach is the right one for these times.  

 

Through Biomimetic Leadership I hope to facilitate a collaborative community dedicated to the vast possibilities that biomimetic leadership offers at large. I aim to spark conversations, collaborations and partnerships that extend far beyond me and this site. I am open to all conversations and any way I can support you on your own biomimetic journey.

 

If you want to know more about my executive leadership work, please visit:
Infanteexecutiveleadership.com.
 

Before the creation Biomimetic Leadership, I was already exploring my passion for the
intersection of the natural world and the human mind. Please visit:
Stepoutsidevideos.com.