Integrating Spirit, Science, and Strategy for the Modern Leader.
Contemplative Leadership for the Modern Leader
Leadership development for leaders who are burned out, spiritually disconnected, and ready to lead with clarity, regulation, and ethical authority.
Rooted in Scholarship. Proven in Practice.
I am Dr. Denise Simpson, Ph.D. Founder of the Contemplative Leadership Discipline. Creator of the Applied Contemplative Leadership Method.
Grounded in Research
Dr. Simpson holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies, grounding this work in rigorous scholarship and lived wisdom. Every principle and practice taught here is informed by disciplined study, not trend or theory alone. This work stands on a foundation of depth, not opinion.
Tested Over Time
This methodology has been shaped through more than 27 years of walking with leaders in real-world systems under real pressure. It has been refined in boardrooms, classrooms, crises, and quiet moments of discernment. What is taught here has been proven in the lived experience of leadership.
Founder of the Way
Dr. Simpson is the founder of the Contemplative Leadership Discipline and creator of the Applied Contemplative Leadership Method. She did not inherit this framework; she forged it through scholarship, practice, and spiritual formation. This work gives language to a way of leading many have felt, but few have been able to name.
Why So Many Leaders Are Burned Out
Leadership burnout is no longer the exception; it is the norm.
Today’s leaders are carrying enormous responsibility without nervous-system regulation, spiritual grounding, or sustainable leadership training.
This results in:
- Chronic stress and fatigue
- Disconnection from purpose
- Ethical strain in decision-making
- Fragmented leadership identity
You do not need to leave leadership to heal.
You need a new model of leadership development.
What Is Contemplative Leadership?
Contemplative Leadership is a formative leadership discipline that trains leaders to lead from inner stillness, spiritual alignment, and embodied presence rather than reactivity, performance, or control.
It unites:
- The inner life of the leader
- Nervous-system-informed leadership science
- And ethical, strategic organizational leadership
This creates leaders who are regulated, grounded, and resilient in complex modern systems.
The Method
The Applied Contemplative Leadership Method
Applied Contemplative Leadership is a leadership training and certification method that teaches leaders how to integrate:
Spirit – calling, discernment, and sacred responsibility
Science – stress physiology, emotional regulation, and nervous system health
Strategy – leadership decision-making, culture design, and execution
This integrative leadership method transforms inner formation into real-world leadership behavior.
Who This Is For
This leadership development work is for:
Executives and senior leaders
Entrepreneurs, founders, and clergy
Directors, managers, and organizational leaders
Especially those who:
Are successful but burned out
Are spiritually rooted but emotionally exhausted
Want leadership coaching that integrates soul and strategy
Desire ethical, regulated, purpose-driven leadership
If you only want tactics without inner or spiritual work, this may not be your path.
If you are still unsure, I invite you to take my brief quiz below.
Are You Being Called To A New Way of Leading?
Find out below!
Welcome to The Sanctuary!
I created a sanctuary for leaders ready to awaken to the truth of their divine calling, embody leadership as a sacred responsibility, and ignite a transformation that ripples far beyond themselves. Here, leadership is not performed. It is lived with soul, with presence, with purpose.
Subscribe to The Dr. Denise Simpson Podcast!
Explore Contemplative Leadership, nervous-system-informed leadership development, and the Five Universal Leader Principles for spiritually rooted, purpose-driven leaders ready to lead with depth and integrity.
Listen & Subscribe Here
Contemplative Leadership In Action
Watch Podcast Video Episodes Below
Before You Go!
Join thousands of leaders around the world who are choosing to lead from presence instead of pressure. Receive weekly contemplative reflections to steady your inner life and strengthen your leadership.
