An Interview with Anna Kuk

By Anna Kuk, Director San Organique, Artistic Director ReVerb Ensemble, Paris.

1. Why is “an approach to leadership that resonates with women” needed?

In the times of having access to millions of information it is paradoxically difficult to find reliable sources. The access is so easy that many times we simply resign from digging in. Also, many aspects cannot be understood in theory alone, especially when it comes to a collective.

“Leadership” has been a very popular word in the last 15 years. Many times used (or even abused) by putting it out of context. The first connotation I have is the picture of some leadership courses leaflets and books about leadership and “power”. On the cover were either men in suits or women with very serious faces, glasses, red lipstick and black jackets. As a person and as a woman, do I really need to “learn” how to fit into this shape to be a leader? Is there any template to which I need to adapt myself and “cut my own edges”? The world is changing, our self-awareness is increasing. For me to be the leader is connected with being visible to yourself and visible to others. Not by pretending, but by discovering which sounds are mine, which aspects of leadership can resonate with me.

 I am a professional violinist, musician, artist, and for me the word “to resonate” is essential. Leadership is our instrument, and each instrument is different even if tailored to some model. To make your violin resonating, is to understand your tool - your instrument. But! This is up to our body and mind how the sound will be produced. There is no one and the best way we can play violin - we have different bodies and simply different approaches to how we want to sound like. To feel comfortable and free in sound producing is simply impossible to play just by leaning to the violin without understanding yourself. Letting your body and violin play in the space - this is how you resonate. That is why I think the question about resonating with leadership is needed.

2. Halfway through the Expedition what are you uncovering?

For me there are two things I would never be able to do on my own and thanks to this expedition I can say they are getting uncovered. 

The first thing: I have learnt a lot of patience and humility for the process of listening. Not just hearing, but listening, with full presence and understanding, points of view that were never part of my life experience. Stepping into listening means including voices that previously were treated with less importance just because they were not present in our geographical/background context. 

The second thing I have uncovered I could compare to the lamp and the candle. I entered this expedition with some expectations - not about the exact result but somehow about the way I will see the things afterwards, that this expedition will let me see the world clearer, more precisely, as we can see the things with the help of the bright lamp. Now I feel it is more like a candle. It is not only about knowledge - it is about emotions as well. I have discovered that being surrounded by the women that are the most exceptional in their professional environments you not only see things clearer but you can also warm yourself as like from a candle flame, you can take this warmth with you with no harm on any of the senses. Intellect and emotions in this combination gives the most fruitful integrity.

To read more about Anna, click here