RMRM010 | Kevin Hedeen | The Power of Authenticity

Reclaiming Male Role Models

[Listen on iTunes]

Kevin Hedeen was born in Detroit Michigan almost 56 years ago. From ages 10-15 he lived in Frankfort Germany and from age 15-17 he lived in Port Elizabeth South Africa.

He found his way into the pharmaceutical industry as an analytical chemist, a good paying job that led him to marriage and two sons. Inside he was guarded to the point where he was mostly numb to what he felt – although experiencing the birth of his children gave him a glimpse of what his world of feeling could be like.

In 1995 Kevin was introduced to the ManKind project and did the New Warrior Training Adventure (NWTA) weekend, where he opened himself to a deep inner journey that helped him release and heal within a container of powerful men. He’s been in the same men’s group since then, and has gone on to serve as staff for 47 trainings.

Kevin continues to sit in the discomfort of fully expressing his bisexuality within a monogamous relationship to a loving and powerful woman. He is currently leaning into a new phase of his life that includes community circles that are co-gender, while continuing to engage circles of men. He seeks to expand himself to deeper understandings of people who are different from him as he redefines himself as a licensed clinical social worker after 26 years as an analytical chemist.

In this episode we discuss:

• His work as an established leader with The ManKind Project
• Using authenticity and emotion to step into leadership
• Coming out as bisexual to his sons
• Balancing anger and power with listening and passivity in a healthy way

Quotes from this episode:

“I’ve been very engaged by my relationships with men, how they moved inside of me and shifted me into a place where I could step authentically into what leadership was for me… It was more about just being who I am.”

“I can be powerful in my authentic self… it’s not always about tears and pain… yet I need to reveal that part to allow the fullness of myself to come forward.”

“There’s a compassionate side of me that’s more nurturing and more interested in holding what a man has to say, as opposed to galvanizing or inspiring them to make a change. I see the opportunity to balance these two energies, the masculine and feminine in me.”