The Lev Natan Podcast

“What is a good man but a bad man’s teacher? What is a bad man but a good man’s job?” These provocative, yet clarifying questions from the courageous wisdom of Lao Tzu and his masterpiece, the Tao Te Ching, a classic work of leadership, has much to offer in the wake of the intensity of the election. Yes, this dark moment in American is shifting. And, yet, we must still address the very real fact t...

When I asked her how she wanted to be introduced, Carol Dana told me she is a mother and a grandmother - “that’s what really matters, not the credentials.” Carol is from the Penobscot tribe in Northern Maine. “The Wabanaki Confederacy (Wabenaki, translated to "People of the Dawn") are a First Nations confederation of four principal Eastern Algonquian tribes: the Miꞌkmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy an...

While indigenous people make up less than 5% of the world’s population, they steward 80% of the Earth’s biodiversity. The connection between indigenous rights and climate justice is clear. Yet, generations of colonialism, conquest and exploitation leave our collective psyche scarred by shame and guilt for the unthinkable abuses of our ancestors and current policies that still attack native communi...

It says in the I-Ching, “In a very real sense the progress of the world depends upon your thoughts as an individual now.” In moments when doubt enters your mind, and your body feels the lethargy of hopelessness, we need you to catch yourself. In these most turbulent of times, we need all hands on deck, which means that we need your unique contribution, your daily efforts and heartfelt strivings to...

With the fires blazing on the West Coast of the United States and the political climate as polarized as ever, the world is looking more and more like biblical descriptions of apocalyptic times. And yet, life remains simple. The question always remains: how will you respond? Who will you be in the midst of the collapse and breakdown of our conventional human systems. As your children grow up and be...

You are someone who is called to lead a life of commitment in a complex world. To make a difference takes courage, wisdom and an ever evolving state of conscious awareness. This state exists in the sweet spot between pursuing desire and being content. In this episode, you will reconnect with the power of gratitude as a fundamental, and ancient, leadership principle for excellence, precision and ma...

Once upon a time there were three brickmasons. When asked what they were doing, the first said, “I’m laying brick,” the second replied, “I’m building a wall,” and the third declared, “I’m building a cathedral.” Which one are you? What are you doing when you go to work? When you take time to remember the deeper purpose of the work that you do, you connect to your guiding principles, commitments and...

Our world’s problems are complex. They can’t be “solved” with simple 1+1 kind of equations. Warm data, developed by Nora Bateston, founder of the International Bateson Institute, is a way to gather contextual information that studies the interdependent relationships, interactions, and interconnections between diverse sectors of our society. In other words, it allows us to affirm our intuitive unde...

In this episode, we explore the connections between genocide, systemic racism and ecosystem destruction, and imagine a future where we each take more responsibility to uphold the protection, regeneration and the dignity of Life in our world. We reference the stories of three documentary films: (1) Watchers of the Sky, the story of Raphael Lemkin’s dedication to making genocide a crime in the inter...

What is the connection between initiation and our capacity to step up as the leaders we need to be in these critical times? In this episode, Lev shares his personal experience participating in the Sundance ceremony as a means to his own growth as an organizational leader and his capacity to stand in his commitment to a viable future for the generations to come. He relates his journey to the five s...

The research shows that when we bring prayer, meditation and conscious intention in our organizations and movements for change, we increase capacity, amplify impact and establish greater efficacy. Learn the why, what and how, in this episode. ______ Your Invited to Deep Roots 2026 - Regenerative Leadership for Changemakers in the Northeast Bioregion: www.allianceforaviablefuture.org/deep-roots Roo...

What is most important to you? Do your actions reflect that? In this part-two episode focused on the Walk for a Viable Future, we explore this unique opportunity for you to "walk your talk" and align your thoughts, words and actions; your values with your choices, at home and in the office. The time is NOW for us to get our priorities straight, and gather the courage to make the necessary changes...

Ceremony is transformative. Courage is needed. Now is an opportune historical moment to galvanize the momentum for change. The Black Lives Matter movement is establishing connections with awareness of Indigenous rights, as colonial statues are being called into question and taken down. Movements are ripe to collaborate. The WALK is an opportunity for all people to take a stand and declare their wh...

“For decades, activists have relied on federal and state legislation to fight for a cleaner environment. And for decades, they’ve been fighting a losing battle. The sad truth is, our laws are designed to accommodate pollution rather than prevent it. It’s no wonder people feel powerless when it comes to preserving the quality of their water, air, public parks, and special natural spaces. But there...

What might we do to withstand the turbulence of social discord, climate change, and the breakdown of our degenerative systems? When hurricanes sweep through forests, trees stay standing because their roots are connected. They hold onto each other. We can do the same. And, when we do, our nervous systems shift from fight, flight or freeze to connect, bond and collaborate. In this episode, Lev refle...

“Mari Margil serves as the Executive Director of Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights ( www.centerforenvironmentalrights.org ) and program manager for CDER’s International Center for the Rights of Nature. In 2008, she served as a consultant to Ecuador’s national Constituent Assembly, helping to draft the world’s first Rights of Nature constitutional provisions. Margil is widely viewed as...

Marshall Lefferts brings a perspective that inspires hope and intelligent action, in dark times, this interview weaves connections between physics, mathematics and music that underlie key principles in how to cultivate the conditions for living systems to thrive. "Throughout nature we can see patterns, structures, processes and systems that reflect an underlying order of energy dynamics that liter...

Thomas Linzey has worked with the first places in the world to establish legal rights of nature - from a small town in Pennsylvania to the national constitution of Ecuador. His organization, Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights ( www.centerforenvironmentalrights.org ) works with grassroots, tribal, and NGO partners and governments across the globe to develop, implement, and enforce Right...

"MatrixWorks is a revolutionary group process that utilizes principles of New Science, Whole Systems Thinking, Hakomi Psychotherapy, Spirituality, and Contemporary Psychology. It ​fosters leadership that supports the growth and development of healthy functioning teams and groups. ​It supports the transformative emergence of ‘Group Genius’ where relationships become collaborative, and mutuality and...

In the wake of the unspeakable actions of the threatened who hunted down and murdered Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop, Sean Reed, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd, Alliance for a Viable Future stands in solidarity with all Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC). We stand for racial justice and reparations for all people of color. Racial Justice and Climate Justice are deeply connected. In fact, they are...

How might we inspire our organizations to go beyond their bottom-line, and even beyond their social impact mission, and join a larger movement for change and ingenuity? How might we inspire a coordinated response to our collective dilemmas? In this episode, Lev reflects on his conversation with Dave Ford, CEO of Ocean Plastics Leadership Network (episode #16), and highlights the key principles tha...

(Recorded January 2020) How do you get companies like Pepsi and Dow Chemicals to sit with Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund? Ask Dave Ford, founder of the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network - a membership community that runs experiential summits in ocean plastics hotspots around the globe that drive accelerated, collaborative action. This network is an inspiring example of what the Collective...

"There is a space between cause and effect, between stimulus and habitual response. It is in this space that a full human life is possible.” Al Bhatt, breakthrough organizational consultant and professor of Organizational Leadership, has committed his life to the idea that silence is like the pot that a plant needs to grow. In a world of busyness, we need mentors who hold an empowering space for d...

The Sierra Nevada mountains on the northern tip of the Andes in Colombia are home to four separate but related peoples: the Arhuaco (or Ika), Wiwa, Kogi, and Kankuamo. Together they number more than 30,000. In 1990, they emerged as a global indigenous voice with a BBC documentary in which they warned of the need to change course. In 2012, they made another film called Aluna, which you can find onl...

The old scripts of “posturing and pretending” are becoming more and more played out in a world that is in dire need for real people to guide us forward into the unknown. Knowing where you stand orients you to how to be a genuine, natural, authentic leader. The root of the word question is quest: What have you known, that you have always known? What do you see, that you have always seen? What do yo...