Hayley Lapalme
Within every system, imaginal elements lie dormant, waiting for the right conditions to emerge for transformation. These imaginal discs, when activated, survive the dissolution of old structures and reorganize the system into something entirely new, with capacities the original system could never have imagined. This transformation is not just one of form but also of function, allowing the system to operate on a higher level.
The caterpillar takes flight
The tadpole hops to land
The forest after a fire, springs forth new life
The pregnant woman births a child and mother
Yet before these transformations, there is an essential release—a confrontation with death, whether through metamorphosis, combustion, or self-annihilation. How do we dare step willingly into these unpredictable, transformative processes or encourage others to? Imaginal discs serve as a salient metaphor for both individuals and systems. Both transformational leadership and systems thinking illustrate how dormant capacities can be nurtured into adaptive change. This emphasises the importance of a chrysalis—a safe space to dissolve and reconfigure the self or the system. Such spaces, however, can be difficult to achieve and are often lacking in late-stage capitalism, limiting both potential and, possibly, survival.
I draw on the metaphor of imaginal discs, Otto Scharmer’s Theory U, C.S. Holling’s adaptive cycle, and Nourish’s synthesis of these and other teachings around nature connection and consciousness into a “Nourish Clover,” to explore the transformative journey of awareness-based systems change. This framework helps me to reflect on nine years of Nourish, a Canadian charity I co-founded that nurtures healthcare leadership in sustainable food systems and planetary health.
At Nourish, we believe in the power of food as medicine. We’ve created a cohort model that integrates food and health systems, Western and Indigenous ways of knowing, and centres peer (un)learning, mentorship, and experimentation. By embedding ourselves in these systems— listening, learning, convening, mentoring, granting, and facilitating—we have contributed to their evolution, including leadership with national and international partners on climate change, Indigenous reconciliation, and food policy. At the midpoint of our third cohort, I reflect on these nine years, marked by significant personal transformations, including the births of my sons, Felix and Elio. I also turn to presencing, exploring emerging possibilities and navigating the complexities of matrescence and working motherhood as I continue to engage with Nourish.
Profile
Hayley Lapalme is an eleventh generation French-Canadian settler, systems thinker and facilitator who has spent fifteen years working with public institutions on pathways to more sustainable futures. She designed and led Nourish’s inaugural national leadership program for healthcare changemakers and serves as Co-Executive Director of Nourish, leading transformational work across community, institutional, and policy scales in food and health systems. Hayley previously started My Sustainable Canada’s mentorship program on public procurement and worked as a writer-broadcaster for the CBC, as a backcountry canoe guide, and as a convenor of farmers, processors, and public buyers across Canada. Drawing on a background in adult education, leadership, and systemic design, Hayley weaves collaborations that rebuild connections to land, health, and each other. Based on traditional and unceded coastal territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking (Songhees) peoples on Vancouver Island, Hayley is a graduate of McGill University and the University of Toronto, where she earned an M.Ed in Leadership, Adult Education, and Community Development. She is mother to Felix and Elio, and a friend to the neighbourhood children who come to her weekly “parknastics” class. hlapalme@nourishleadership.ca