Written by Samantha Saucier
As a society, we’ve been taught that strong leadership should look a certain way—unwavering, hierarchical, and built on control. But what if “strong” leadership looks like something else entirely? What if it is about learning, holding space, and knowing when to speak and when to listen? What would the world as we know it look like today if strong leadership, at its core, centered connection above all else?
A matriarchal approach to leadership is not just about women being in positions of power. It is about dismantling the oppressive systems that shape the way we live and work. It means stepping outside colonial and patriarchal frameworks that define strength through dominance and assimilation and instead embracing leadership as a practice rooted in care, accountability, and deep respect.
At pipikwan pêhtâkwan, we lead with a decolonized and matriarchal lens deeply rooted in our work, our relationships, and our communities. Leadership, for us, is not about hierarchy or control; it’s about lifting one another up, creating spaces where every voice is valued, and shaping a workplace where leadership means shared responsibility, not individual power. Within our team, a matriarchal approach is about uplifting communities, honouring different ways of knowing, and redefining success in ways that align with our values.
Leadership is Learning
Since moving away from patriarchal ways of working, we’ve learned, to lead is to trust yourself, own your mistakes, let yourself be humbled, and remain open to the wisdom of those around you. True leadership is not about having all the answers—it’s about asking the right questions, knowing that no single person holds all the knowledge, and we are stronger when we work together in meaningful ways.
“My job is not to make other people’s lives harder. If we truly want a matriarchal organization, community or society – my job is to share what I know, be vulnerable and help those who are coming in behind me. We will succeed in any space if we embrace one another and leave perfectionist attitudes at the door. There has to be room to learn, make mistakes and be there for each other. And until the scales are more balanced, it’s really important to be a girl’s girl and believe women until you have a reason for that trust to be broken.”
– Shani, Founder/CEO
Matriarchal leadership embraces intuition in a way that patriarchal systems just don’t offer the ability to connect with. Indigenous cultures have always understood the value of intuition—of listening to what is in our hearts, the meaning behind our words, rather than just what is said. Women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people have always held knowledge that challenges the systems which sought to silence our voices. It’s only when we are truly heard that true change, healing, and progress can really take form. Indigenous ways of knowing are valuable because they consider the anomalies – where emotion is considered a valuable component that leads us to make informed decisions. Leadership is not just about thinking—it is about feeling, making space for the perspective and knowledge of those around you, and knowing when to guide or lean on those around you.
Breaking Down Barriers: Reclaiming Our Voices
As women, we often find ourselves spending our lives in spaces not made for us. We’ve found ourselves having to shrink ourselves to fit, to soften or silence our voices so we don’t come across as “too much,” to work within systems originally built to keep us out. At pipikwan pêhtâkwan, we challenge these societal “norms”, we work to break down barriers and reclaim our voices so others can find theirs.
“Matriarchal leadership is ancient wisdom. Sadly it may be the wisdom most needed right now and the most misunderstood. My access to this wisdom came to me via music, books, film, and even documentary when I was the most open, as I grew my first baby within. Goddess Mother Earth claimed me at my most vulnerable and as a birthing woman at age 30, I felt goddess-like while birthing at home, and it changed me. Sisterhood and allies grew inside the Indigenous and celtic community of moon circles – co-creating safe spaces to heal, sing, howl and listen is well worth doing and doing in a good way. Mussi.”
– Coleen Garska, Wellness Elder
We do not work in silos—we work in circles. At our core, we did everything we could to redefine what hierarchy looked like within our teams. We challenged the idea that leadership is about power over others and instead reinforced the idea of the power that comes from within. We believe everyone has something to offer, and real leadership makes space for every voice, every story, every perspective- no matter their title. This creates a shift from individual autonomy to a shared power—where understanding, communication, and mutual support guide the way forward together.
Lifting Each Other Up & Facing Challenges Head On
At pipikwan pêhtâkwan, success is measured by the collective well-being of those within our team, those we work with, and the work we do together, not by individual achievements. Of course, there are deliverables, timelines, and KPI’s that we strive toward – but our work is driven by building capacity in others, moving away from a mindset built on hoarding knowledge and power for personal gain.
“As a woman, I have been inspired by the women I have worked with throughout my career. Seeing women in positions of leadership in the workplace matters. Those who have leaned into their unique gifts and strengths as women have inspired me most – showing me you can be a mother and leader, vulnerable yet powerful. Most importantly, they have tried to uplift other women and future generations of leaders in our community along their journey.”
– Michelle Lean, Communications Director
Conflict is inevitable, especially in the work we do, but how we approach it matters. As uncomfortable as it may be at times, we make a conscious decision to face conflict head on. We meet each other where we are, with honesty and compassion instead of ridicule and blame. We hold space for the hard conversations, knowing true accountability is an act of love—not punishment. We do not shrink ourselves to make others comfortable, we show up as we are. We make room for one another, we recognize the strength in our differences, and we work to build communities where everyone feels seen.
Reimagining the Future
We have been conditioned to believe that success requires sacrifice—of our health, our relationships, our culture, our values. But what if that is a lie? What if success is not about exhaustion and self-denial, but about balance? What if leadership means creating spaces where people can show up as their authentic selves, without fear of being diminished?
So why do we take on this responsibility despite how challenging it’s proven to be along the way? Each day, we are dismantling systems that do not serve us and replacing them with something that aligns with our people, for our people, and for generations to come.
“For people to function at their best they need to know you care about them as a whole being and not just as a professional carrying out duties based on a job description. At pipikwan pêhtâkwan we create and maintain space(s) for employees to show up with as much of themselves as they’d like. We strike to create a community where people feel free to celebrate victories, share challenges and express their feelings and needs with kindness. This kind of balance is not just individual but relies on the collective building of a culture that thrives.”
– Shawna Kay Thomas, Director of Corporate Communications and Culture
Through this journey, we hope that the men currently in leadership will recognize their role in being allies to women is to stand beside us, using their voice to create space for ours, as we reimagine new ways of doing things.
Conclusion
Matriarchal leadership is not about exclusion or replacing one system with another, taking away the voice of one and giving it to another. It is about restoring balance – making space and opportunity for all voices to join and be heard at the table. It is about leading with honesty, courage, humility and care. It is about letting go of fear—fear of taking up space, fear of being wrong, fear of being seen. When we let go of that fear, we step into something more powerful than a false sense of control or power. We step into authenticity.
This is the leadership we choose, a leadership rooted in community, in trust, in learning, unlearning and healing from within.
