Introduction

The Embodied Leadership Model (ELM) is Field and Form’s framework for values‑based civic design and systems repair.  It integrates somatic intelligence, trauma‑informed facilitation and systems thinking to inhabit the space between policy and people, where institutional decision‑making and lived human experience intersect.  More than a response to crisis, ELM is a methodology for reimagining civic life — one that builds resilient communities by fostering trust, coherence and systemic awareness.

ELM is intentionally cross‑sector, addressing overlapping arenas such as community mental health, regenerative community development, cultural memory, the arts, and public governance rather than approaching them in isolation.  This integrated approach allows civic processes to reflect the complexity of real communities instead of separate policy domains.

Core Principles

Somatic Awareness in Public Life

Leadership begins with attunement to the nervous system, recognizing how stress, fear, or hope show up in bodies and rooms, and learning to navigate from grounded presence.

Relational Trust as Infrastructure

Lasting solutions emerge from trust built between people, not just policies. ELM prioritizes honest dialogue, mutual recognition and the repair of frayed civic relationships.

Systems Thinking for Context

Every conversation sits within larger histories and power dynamics. ELM invites participants to zoom out, connect dots and address root causes rather than symptoms.

Trauma‑Informed Process

Careful pacing, explicit agreements and structured breaks ensure participants remain resourced and able to engage meaningfully, especially on polarizing or painful issues.

Nonlinear Dialogue and Collective Intelligence

Progress does not always follow a straight line. By honoring pauses, reflection and emergent insights, ELM taps the wisdom of the group rather than privileging a single voice.

Applications

The model can be used in:

• Community dialogues addressing polarizing policy issues

• Cross‑sector collaborations between nonprofits and local government

• Civic response to humanitarian or crisis events

• Civic planning, policy fluency labs and community‑driven design initiatives

• Leadership trainings and resilience‑building programs for communities and institutions

Its flexible design allows adaptation to grassroots efforts, municipal planning processes or national‑level policy contexts.

Emerging Vision

Field and Form envisions expanding this model into:

• Civic and Policy Fluency Labs in additional communities and districts, creating replicable spaces for dialogue, shared problem‑solving and deeper understanding of how policy is shaped and implemented

• Civic Training Programs focused on trauma‑informed facilitation and leadership development across sectors

• Embedded Civic Design Frameworks that integrate emotional intelligence and systemic thinking into community planning, public governance and cross‑sector partnership.

These future directions prioritize relational trust, adaptability and long‑view cultural repair — scaling not through replication alone, but through integrity and context‑specific design.

Connect

For collaborations, training inquiries or speaking requests:

Contact Daniela →

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© 2024–2025 Field and Form. All rights reserved. The Embodied Leadership Model is an original framework by Daniela Hinman. For inquiries about adaptation, training, or collaborative use, please contact daniela@fieldandformca.com.