Leading with the Heart as We Hospice Modernity

Guest article from Deep Adaptation facilitator Katie Carr…

As the systems of modernity collapse around us, what kind of leadership can guide us compassionately through this transition?

Let’s be very clear – modern industrial civilization is dying. Its fundamental pillars – hyper-individualism, the myth of progress, the religion of capitalism, disconnect between head and heart, consumption as a measure of success and happiness – have engineered this disaster. Our relentless destruction of the planet has led us to the brink of extinction.  Interconnected systems we rely on for survival, like food production, economics, and law and order, are unraveling.

Societal collapse has already begun, though pinpointing an exact start date is impossible. Some say it was triggered thousands of years ago with the dawn of agriculture and human domination of the planet. Others point to more recent harbingers like the Enlightenment Era, or the Industrial Revolution. Regardless, collapse is unpredictable, chaotic, and global in scale.  

What does it mean to accept that collapse is underway? For individuals, communities, humans as a whole, and non-human species, there may be benefits in letting go of expectations that the old familiar systems will continue functioning. Just as making peace with mortality may allow us to live more fully in the present.

However, accepting collapse must not mean acquiescing to the perpetuation of modernity’s harms. How can we avoid falling into the patterns of greed, exploitation, and dehumanization that have brought us to this precipice?

As conditions become more precarious, the psychological seduction of authoritarianism is evident. Fear activates our nervous systems’ fight-or-flight response, leaving people desperate for a sense of safety and simplicity. Authoritarian voices that offer black-and-white explanations or tell us who to blame may appear comforting. But this risks further entrenching the problematic attitudes that got us here.

Society could benefit from leadership in this era of collapse that enables a different path than the authoritarian. Consensus reality about leadership has its roots in the Great Man Myth, the genesis of which dates back to the 18th century, when historians began to emphasize the role of “great men” in shaping history. They described leadership as a heroic, almost mystical trait that only a few exceptional individuals possessed. The myth became widely accepted as “truth” and continued to be reinforced in popular culture and business schools well into the 20th century. The ideology of modernity exists in the DNA of what we call leadership, the expansion of which we’re spending an estimated $3.5 billion each year on training to support the further expansion.

Rather than vainly demanding the impossible with endless “we need to” exhortations, what do we truly want for humanity’s remaining time? What I want is to be part of a leaderly global community guided by wisdom, compassion, and care for all life, present and future. I want decisions made by people with the courage to be ruthlessly honest about the state of the world, yet co-regulating enough to remain calm and empathetic. I want leadership motivated by love, not fear or aggression.

This may seem an unrealistic vision. Yet imagining alternatives allows us to create microcosms of the world we wish to see. By leading from the heart, perhaps we can hospice modernity with a spirit of humanity restored.

In her book ‘Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism’, Vanessa Andreotti uses the practice of hospicing as an analogy for the current crisis in our society. She argues that modernity has cast a spell on us, creating a sense of separation between humans and the natural world, which has led to many problems. She proposes that we need to approach this crisis like we would a hospice patient – with compassion, care, and respect. The goal is not to cure the patient, but to provide comfort and support as they transition into the next phase of life. Similarly, we need to provide comfort and support to our modern society as it transitions into a more sustainable and equitable way of living. Andreotti argues that this approach requires a fundamental shift in our thinking and our values, moving away from a focus on endless growth and exploitation to a focus on sustainability and connection.

Hospicing a dying person involves providing comfort and care to reduce pain and suffering, listening deeply to the patient’s needs and wishes, allowing the patient dignity and autonomy, offering support for psychological, emotional, and spiritual distress, helping the patient create closure and leave a legacy, Preparing family and friends for the patient’s death, and accepting mortality as a natural part of life. 

In hospicing the dying systems of modernity, leaderly communities will courageously assess the state of the world, then make decisions oriented towards reducing suffering and harm. They will create participatory structures that elevate diverse voices, especially those excluded or marginalized. Social norms will foster autonomy and respect for bodily integrity, while discouraging authoritarianism. Mental healthcare and community support must be priorities, with knowledge of trauma and co-regulation integrated into daily life. Cultural practices can adapt to help people find meaning amidst unpredictability. Skills training and mutual aid networks can build resilience where possible. Compassionate spaces hold space for grief and anxiety, while bearing witness to unfolding crises. Conversations normalize civilizational decline as part of the planetary life cycle; pragmatic and mature conversations about options for voluntary euthanasia of the terminally ill also become possible.

These leaderly communities can be bonded by compassion, motivated by service over self-interest. Problems can be addressed collaboratively, with care taken to avoid scapegoating. Self-knowledge and maturity may help regulate reactivity and fear. Authority comes from moral character and consideration of collective needs, not hierarchies. And human needs are balanced with care for the entire living Earth. By hospicing modernity in a spirit of humanity and wisdom, seeds of a life-affirming future may emerge.

This approach includes the need for rapid decarbonization and ecosystem restoration, which – though insufficient to ‘save’ modernity – remain morally vital to reduce further harm. Scientists and policymakers have crucial roles to play here. But so do ordinary citizens, by transitioning communities to local resilience, and peacefully resisting the most ecologically destructive practices of governments and corporations.

Leading from the heart requires ‘critical literacy’ to decipher and transform structures of power, dominance and oppression. It means unlearning the cultural conditioning and colonial thought patterns that shape our behaviours. Only by dismantling prevailing myths of perpetual progress, individualism and human supremacy can we develop the moral imagination needed to grow a life-affirming society.  While modernity’s complex structures inevitably unravel, caring leadership can guide our global community through the ending of industrial consumer societies with humanity and wisdom restored. 

In essence, leading from the heart is about expanding human consciousness to care for people and planet in the face of converging systemic crises. It means finding the emotional strength and moral purpose to hospice dying systems with grace and compassion. Leadership in these times involves us connecting with our deepest humanity. With compassion for oneself and all beings, even collapse contains possibilities for such beauty.

Join Jem and me online or in person, teaching ‘Leading Through Collapse’, a course that combines social theory, strategic impactful communication, with emotional resilience, supporting you to cultivate the inner resources and practical skills to lead with courage and compassion through the uncertainty ahead

Comparisons of Hospicing.

Hospicing a Dying Person	Hospicing Modernity
Providing comfort and care to reduce pain and suffering	Orienting towards reducing suffering (of all beings) and ecological damage in personal as well as strategic (political and technological) decisions
Listening deeply to the patient’s needs and wishes	Platforming diverse voices, with focus on those marginalized or unable to advocate for themselves (including non-human life, and the earth system itself)
Allowing the patient autonomy and dignity	Respecting individuals’ autonomy while reducing harm. Standing fiercely against authoritarianism wherever it arises.
Offering support for psychological, emotional, and spiritual distress	Validating grief, anxiety, and other difficult emotions, building capacity and understanding of trauma awareness and co-regulation in individuals and communities
Helping the patient create closure and leave a legacy	Supporting people in finding meaning and purpose as systems transform beyond recognition
Preparing family and friends for the patient’s death	Building community resilience and capacity to adapt to systems failure where possible
Being present with compassion during final days and death	Bearing witness with compassion as collapse intensifies
Accepting mortality as a natural part of life	Accepting and normalising civilizational decline as part of the planetary life cycle. Having mature conversations about voluntary euthanasia for the terminally ill. It is well past the time when modern medicine should stop hiding behind the hippocratic oath and keeping people alive at all costs, even when they are suffering more than we’d allow in domestic animals.