While getting her doctorate in human development at Harvard in the 1980's, Birute Regine, EdD was part of that groundbreaking research that exposed new insights into girl’s development and women’s psychology. She collaborated with Carol Gilligan, author of In a Different Voice, and served as a teaching assistant to Pulitzer Prize winner Erik Erikson. One time when Regine was invited to speak on a panel, she was asked what her passion was. Instinctively she said she wanted to resolve the ‘battle of the sexes’ as it was called in those days. Certainly a bold ambition but in Iron Butterflies she returns to this passion, reframed this time as a way to bring greater balance in a world out of balance, where feminine and masculine skills and values, and men and women are equally empowered.

For twenty-five years Regine worked as psychotherapist in private practice and today she works as an executive and life coach. She spent two years as a visiting scholar at the Center for Research on Women at Wellesley College and as an affiliate to the Stone Center where she explored the power of stories as vehicles of change. Drawn to complexity science, to her surprise, she found herself in the world of business and co-authored the highly acclaimed book The Soul at Work: Embracing Complexity Science for Business Success with science writer Roger Lewin.

In retrospect Regine realized that the leaders in this book were men who had embraced a more feminine side in their leadership style. Regine wondered what this dynamic balance between masculine and feminine qualities looked like in women leaders. This query led her to sixty women from ten countries and from many walks of life. A labor of love turned into a labor of patience and perseverance for it would take eight years and many delays before the book would be published.

Meeting these ordinary/extraordinary women filled Regine with hope because she uncovered a revolution happening that is largely off the radar screen. Women are leading in a new era of cooperation and collaboration supplanting a society based on domination. They are transforming a meaning of power from power used to dominate others, power over others, to power for and with others, that is, working together. How they dealt with vulnerability in themselves played a central role in their personal transformation and how they dealt with vulnerability in their work realms was key in contributing to a social transformation. Allowing and accepting vulnerability leveled the playing field, connected people to their shared humanity and proved to be a crucible for developing new strengths. And people connected to their vulnerability were more willing to cooperate. We are in a crucial time of historic change and women are leading the way to a better and peaceful world, both determined and vulnerable.

Regine speaks to women’s groups around the country to hear the summons to act and participate in the movement, as well as facilitates retreats to connect women to their feminine power and their capabilities as leaders.

Regine is married to Roger Lewin. Her daughter Rasa Dawson works for Oxfam America and has given her a two year-old granddaughter Lina by whom Regine is completely smitten and a brand new grandson Grayson. Her son Romas Zimlicki is a captain in the Army who has been to Iraq three times and is currently stationed in Germany with his wife Andrea. Modern dance, yoga, and hiking serve as Regine’s therapy. Cooking and entertaining are her playgrounds. She divides her time between Cambridge, MA and Hancock, NH where she is learning that many creative people are hidden in the woods.

Here website is www.ironbutterflies.com

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