ON LEADERSHIP: Kintsugi leadership — the strength found in breaking and repair

ON LEADERSHIP: Kintsugi leadership — the strength found in breaking and repair

In 2023 I visited Japan where there’s an art form known as Kintsugi, which means “to join with gold.” When a ceramic bowl or treasured piece breaks, it isn’t thrown away. Instead, it’s carefully repaired using gold lacquer. The cracks aren’t masked. They’re highlighted, even celebrated. What once was broken becomes more beautiful and more resilient because of the repair. The damage becomes part of its story, not a flaw to conceal. There’s someth…

Lessons from Kintsugi: 4 Tips to Help Couples Rebuild After a Break

In my work with couples, I like to think of the Japanese art of kintsugi. The word means “gold repair,” and it refers to the practice of mending broken pottery with lacquer and powdered gold. Rather than hiding the cracks, kintsugi illuminates them. The once-broken object becomes even more beautiful — not in spite of its history, but because of it.The same can be true for relationships.Every couple will experience breaks. Sometimes they come in …