Your dynamic journey from awareness to embodied anti-racist leadership
Sankofa Look Back Move Forward
Explore the Wheel
The Framework
What Is the Phoenix Wheel?
The Phoenix Wheel of Competency™ is a dynamic, cyclical transformation model. Unlike the traditional Circle of Competence — which is static and borrowed — the Phoenix Wheel is living, personal, and yours. It spirals. You never “complete” it. You deepen.
At its centre sits Sankofa — the Akan principle of looking back to move forward. Each of the five stages builds upon and enriches the others. The journey from Ashes to Return is not a ladder with a top rung. It is a spiral staircase descending ever deeper into understanding, action, and legacy.
“The wheel is not a ladder. There is no ‘top’. Each stage deepens the ones before it.”
Developed by Edward Neequaye & Dr. Jacqui Dyer MBE as part of the Phoenix Rising learning–evidence–governance system for anti-racist healthcare leadership. The Phoenix Wheel integrates neuroscience, Adinkra wisdom, and lived experience into a practical transformation framework for healthcare leaders.
The Five Stages
Explore the Phoenix Wheel
Select a stage to discover its practices, actions, and cultural wisdom.
Stage 1 · Ashes
Awareness — Recognising the Ground Beneath
Recognising harm and systemic issues. The ground from which transformation grows. This is where we confront what we have been taught not to see — the structures, assumptions, and silences that perpetuate racial inequity in healthcare.
Cultural Pause™
Breath of Awareness — Breathe in awareness of historical harm. Breathe out defensiveness.
Key Question
“What am I not seeing?”
Adinkra Wisdom
Sankofa — Return and fetch. It is not taboo to go back and retrieve what you have forgotten.
Lessons
Lessons 1–2: Phoenix Awakening & Masks We Wear
Monday Morning Actions
A1
This week, notice one moment where you stay ‘neutral’ on a racial issue. Write it down.
A2
Read one article about racial disparities in your clinical area. Share one fact with a colleague.
A3
Complete the Phoenix Wheel self-assessment. Be honest about where you are.
Reflection
Stage 2 · Ember
Education — The Spark That Precedes the Flame
Actively learning, building cultural humility. The spark that precedes the flame. Here you move beyond passive awareness into intentional study — seeking out the knowledge, histories, and perspectives that have been excluded from mainstream learning.
Cultural Pause
Breath of Learning — Breathe in curiosity. Breathe out the need to be right.
Key Question
“What do I need to learn?”
Adinkra Wisdom
Nea Onnim — He who does not know can learn. Knowledge is not a destination but a continuous journey.
Lessons
Lessons 2–3: Masks We Wear & Speaking Truth
Monday Morning Actions
E1
Read one chapter of a recommended anti-racism text this week.
E2
Complete one PCREF module and implement one change within 48 hours.
E3
Attend or organise one cultural humility workshop this quarter.
Reflection
Stage 3 · Flame
Engagement — Where Learning Becomes Doing
Taking action, implementing new practices. Where learning becomes doing. This is the crucible stage — where intellectual understanding meets daily practice, and where the courage to act must overcome the fear of getting it wrong.
Cultural Pause
Breath of Courage — Breathe in courage. Breathe out fear of getting it wrong.
Key Question
“What will I do differently today?”
Adinkra Wisdom
Akoma — The heart. Symbolising love, patience, and endurance in the face of challenge.
Lessons
Lessons 3–5: Speaking Truth, Architecture of Power & Rewriting Rules
Monday Morning Actions
F1
Before any detention decision this week, use the Cultural Pause. Ask: “Would I make this decision if this patient were white?”
F2
Implement one culturally-centred practice on your ward this month.
F3
Challenge one biased phrase in clinical documentation this week.
Reflection
Stage 4 · Flight
Empowerment — Rising Above Individual Practice
Leading change, empowering others, building coalitions. Rising above individual practice. At this stage, your transformation extends beyond yourself — you become a catalyst for others, combining strength with the humility to know you are still learning.
Cultural Pause
Breath of Leadership — Breathe in purpose. Breathe out the need for control.
Key Question
“Who else can I bring into this work?”
Adinkra Wisdom
Dwennimmen — Ram’s horns. The union of strength and humility in leadership.
Lessons
Lessons 6–7: Ubuntu & Collective Action
Monday Morning Actions
FL1
Mentor one colleague on anti-racist practice this month.
FL2
Advocate for one policy change that centres racial equity.
FL3
Lead your own team learning session using Phoenix Rising materials.
Reflection
Stage 5 · Return
Embedding — The Journey Never Ends, It Deepens
Embedding changes into systems, mentoring the next generation, spiralling deeper. The journey never ends — it deepens. At this stage you are building legacy: ensuring that the changes you have made outlast your own involvement and become woven into the fabric of your organisation.
Cultural Pause
Breath of Legacy — Breathe in gratitude. Breathe out attachment to outcomes.
Key Question
“What will I leave behind?”
Adinkra Wisdom
Gye Nyame — Supremacy of truth. The enduring nature of justice beyond any single person.
Establish a Community Advisory Board or patient voice panel.
R2
Track and publish racial equity data for your ward quarterly.
R3
Create a succession plan — who continues this work when you move on?
Reflection
Self-Assessment
Where Are You on the Wheel?
Rate yourself honestly on each stage. This is not a test — it is a mirror. Your results help you understand where to focus your energy.
1. Ashes — Awareness3
“I can recognise systemic racism in my workplace”
NeverRarelySometimesOftenAlways
2. Ember — Education3
“I actively seek to learn about racial equity”
NeverRarelySometimesOftenAlways
3. Flame — Engagement3
“I take concrete anti-racist actions in my practice”
NeverRarelySometimesOftenAlways
4. Flight — Empowerment3
“I lead others and advocate for systemic change”
NeverRarelySometimesOftenAlways
5. Return — Embedding3
“I embed equity into systems and mentor the next generation”
NeverRarelySometimesOftenAlways
Practical Actions
What Do I Actually DO?
15 concrete actions — one for every Monday morning. Colour-coded by stage, each card gives you something real to implement this week.
A1
Notice Your Neutrality
This week, notice one moment where you stay ‘neutral’ on a racial issue. Write it down. Neutrality is never neutral — it upholds the status quo.
A2
Learn One Disparity
Read one article about racial disparities in your clinical area. Share one fact with a colleague. Knowledge shared is knowledge doubled.
A3
Honest Self-Assessment
Complete the Phoenix Wheel self-assessment. Be honest about where you are. Growth begins with truthful self-reflection.
E1
Read One Chapter
Read one chapter of a recommended anti-racism text this week. Let the words sit with you before rushing to respond.
E2
PCREF in Practice
Complete one PCREF module and implement one change within 48 hours. Knowledge without action is incomplete.
E3
Cultural Humility Workshop
Attend or organise one cultural humility workshop this quarter. Learning is both individual and collective.
F1
The Detention Question
Before any detention decision this week, use the Cultural Pause. Ask: “Would I make this decision if this patient were white?”
F2
Culturally-Centred Practice
Implement one culturally-centred practice on your ward this month. Start small. Start now.
F3
Challenge Biased Language
Challenge one biased phrase in clinical documentation this week. Language shapes reality.
FL1
Mentor a Colleague
Mentor one colleague on anti-racist practice this month. Share what you have learnt and learn from them in return.
FL2
Advocate for Policy Change
Advocate for one policy change that centres racial equity. Systemic problems require systemic solutions.
FL3
Lead a team learning session
Lead your own team learning session using Phoenix Rising materials. The best way to learn is to teach.
R1
Community Advisory Board
Establish a Community Advisory Board or patient voice panel. Centre the voices of those most affected.
R2
Publish Equity Data
Track and publish racial equity data for your ward quarterly. What gets measured gets managed.
R3
Succession Planning
Create a succession plan — who continues this work when you move on? Legacy is not about you.
Your Learning Path
How the Wheel Maps to Your Journey
Each lesson connects to one or more stages of the Phoenix Wheel. The colours show which stages are active in each lesson.
1
Phoenix Awakening
2
Masks We Wear
3
Speaking Truth
4
Architecture of Power
5
Rewriting Rules
6
Ubuntu
7
Collective Action
8
Legacy & Covenant
PCREF Domain Connections: The Phoenix Wheel aligns with the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework across all five domains — from workforce diversity (Ashes/Ember) through clinical practice (Flame) to governance and accountability (Flight/Return). Each stage deepens your engagement with culturally-responsive, equitable care.
Oxytocin Cultural Pauses
The Five Cultural Pauses
Each stage of the Phoenix Wheel has its own breathing practice — a moment of intentional stillness before action. These pauses are rooted in neuroscience: they activate the parasympathetic nervous system, creating space between stimulus and response.
Ashes
Breath of Awareness
Breathe in awareness of historical harm. Breathe out defensiveness.
Ember
Breath of Learning
Breathe in curiosity. Breathe out the need to be right.
Flame
Breath of Courage
Breathe in courage. Breathe out fear of getting it wrong.
Flight
Breath of Leadership
Breathe in purpose. Breathe out the need for control.
Return
Breath of Legacy
Breathe in gratitude. Breathe out attachment to outcomes.
“The Phoenix Wheel is not a destination. It is a way of being.”
