You’ve Accomplished a Lot. But Now You Want to Lead Differently.
The Gaia Leadership Project helps values-driven leaders move from overextension to a model of leadership that’s clear, strategic, and deeply supported.
When Purpose Outgrows The Old Path
You’ve built a career. You’ve created impact. You’ve held a lot—teams, communities, visions.
But lately, the ways you’ve led don’t quite fit anymore. You’re not interested in doing more. You’re ready to do what matters—on your terms.
At The Gaia Leadership Project, we help leaders like you redesign leadership from the inside out—so it matches your depth, aligns with your values, and is built to last.
You’re not starting over.
You’re evolving.
You might be a leader who’s exhausted by broken systems.
A creative ready to bring your work into form.
An educator craving clarity in this next chapter.
A changemaker who’s carried too much for too long.
What unites our community isn’t a title—it’s a turning point.
That moment when purpose calls for structure.
When your impact needs more than hustle.
When you stop asking, “Can I keep doing this?” and start asking, “What’s possible if I lead differently?”
How We Walk With You
The Gaia Leadership Project exists to help people lead movements, missions, and creative visions that actually last.
We offer:
Free strategic tools and political education
Deep-dive coaching and community conversations
Justice-rooted frameworks for sustainable leadership
Our signature change-agent program: The Ripple Effect Institute
Whether you’re building something new or reimagining what leadership can feel like—we’re here to help you do it in a way that’s grounded, clear, and powerfully supported.
A Place To Begin Again—With Strategy
The Ripple Effect Institute
At some point, every leader reaches a crossroads: whether to keep pushing through burnout and struggle—or lead with alignment.
REI is where that shift happens. This is not just a course—it’s a leadership redesign.
Inside REI, you’ll get the clarity, structure, and circle you’ve been missing—so you can build a mission that sustains you and the change you’re here to create.
With eight self-paced modules, ongoing coaching, and a peer cohort that truly gets it, this is where you stop holding it all alone—and start building what holds you.
Why We Exist
The Gaia Leadership Project was founded by Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin—activist, political strategist, ex-Wall Street lawyer, and author of Becoming Heroines—to serve leaders navigating real-world stakes.
Our work is trauma-informed, justice-rooted, and built on the belief that burnout isn’t a personal failure—it’s a sign that something deeper is ready to shift.
Thousands of leaders across movements, industries, and callings have found clarity, capacity, and community through our programs.
Our Free Resource To Start Strong
How to Lead Change Without Burning Out
A powerful guide to five essential shifts that help you move from spinning to building—so you can lead with clarity and sustainability.
Real Stories From Our Community
“I finally stopped second-guessing myself and started designing what’s next.”
“I didn’t have to explain the stakes. Everyone already got it.”
✔ Reclaimed clarity and capacity
✔ Found strategy that aligned with their values
✔ Built leadership that holds, not depletes
Welcome To What’s Next
You’ve done enough surviving. You’re ready to lead with clarity, strategy, and purpose.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. Let’s build what holds you.