Research & Impact
The PSA Model: A New Grammar for Leadership
For decades, the world has been governed by the PPE paradigm - Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. While this model has driven efficiency and growth, it has often done so at the cost of our humanity, leading to a systemic "moral collapse" in leadership and a crisis of wellbeing.
At Anagami Impact, we believe that the systems currently shaping our world - our politics, our businesses, our communities - are only as healthy as the humans who lead them. For too long, leadership has been taught as a cold science of economics and efficiency. We are here to remember a warmer, deeper truth.
We call this the PSA Model*. It is our intentional alternative to the PPE model of governance. By weaving together Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology-Ecology, we redesign leadership as a relational practice.
The Psychology of Inner Clarity
The somatic foundations of leadership. Systems are not separate from us; they are reflections of our inner worlds. Our research explores how a leader’s internal regulation and emotional wellbeing act as the primary infrastructure for organisational health. Through the WorkWell Leaders Impact Measure, we have documented the "11x effect"—proving that when a leader prioritises their own wellbeing, the collective capacity for performance and psychological safety multiplies.
The Sociology of Outer Change
The organisation as a modern tribe. We investigate the workplace not merely as a site of production, but as the most vital social safety net of our time. Our inquiry focuses on how institutions can bridge divides and foster deep belonging for the marginalised. Through initiatives like SG Mental Health Matters, Project Hayat, CritiCare Fund for Migrant Workers and the Palestinian Scholarship Initiative, we examine how institutional advocacy can heal the social fabric and create true systemic inclusion.
The Anthropology-Ecology of Collective Flourishing
Ancient rituals for a modern world. In an age of digital noise and artificial intelligence, the human capacity for presence is our most sacred asset. Our work explores the power of silence, ritual, and deep listening to dismantle power hierarchies. Through the praxis of Hush TeaBar and A Good Space, we study how returning to ancient human rituals and communities allows for a more compassionate and moral form of governance to emerge - one that recognises the inextricable link between human mental health and the health of our planet (Ecology).
*This framework is currently being synthesised into a Doctoral Inquiry (PhD by Public Works) by our founder, Anthea Ong. By bridging 30 years of C-suite leadership and parliamentary service with rigorous academic validation, we aim to formalise the PSA Model as a global curriculum for the post-PPE era.
The Parliamentary Record: Legislative Advocacy (2018–2020)
As a Nominated Member of Parliament in the 13th Parliament of Singapore, Anthea used the parliamentary floor as a laboratory for Relational Leadership & Governance. Her 36 full speeches and numerous interventions were not merely policy arguments, but empirical inquiries into how a "New Grammar" of leadership - rooted in PSA - can address systemic inequities.
key legislative focus areas:
- Psychology: National mental health strategy, suicide prevention, and workplace wellbeing.
- Sociology: Migrant worker rights, the digital divide (COVID-19), and homelessness.
- Anthropology: Climate justice, youth activism, and the preservation of civil society "spaces."
IMPACT case studies
The following selected publications by Anthea Ong, Founder of Anagami Impact, form the empirical foundation of the PSA Relational Leadership & Governance Model.
Pillar I: Psychology (inner clarity)
Pillar III: Anthropology (collective flourishing)
Pillar I: Psychology (inner clarity)
The study of the leader’s internal world as the primary infrastructure for systemic health.
- [Book] 50 Shades of Love (Candid Publishing, 2018)
The Impact: An inquiry into the somatic and psychological dimensions of the human experience, exploring love as a foundational state for leadership and life.
- [Chapter] Lost. And Found. (Chapter 2, My Life, My Story, National Library Board, 2016)
The Impact: A personal anthropological and psychological case study on the "Reset," exploring how personal collapse precedes systemic clarity.
- The Best Example Leaders Can Set is Wellbeing (Straits Times, Oct 2025)
The Impact: Evidence-based advocacy for leader regulation as a driver of organisational psychological safety.
- It’s Time to Replace Work-Life Balance with Work-Rest Rhythm (Straits Times, Jul 2025)
The Impact: Redefining performance through somatic and biological rhythms rather than industrial output.
- Turn Mental Health into Wealth at Workplaces (Straits Times, Feb 2025)
The Impact: Re-aligning corporate value systems to recognize mental wellbeing as a shared capital asset rather than a liability.
Pillar II: Sociology (outer change)
Pillar III: Anthropology (collective flourishing)
Pillar I: Psychology (inner clarity)
The study of institutions as "tribes" and the workplace as a critical social
safety net.
- [Book] The Nominated Member of Parliament Scheme: Are Unelected Voices Still Necessary in Parliament?(World Scientific, 2022)
The Impact: A sociological evaluation of non-partisan voices within the formal structures of governance.
- [Chapter] Social Movements and Civil Societies (Section 1.4, Singapore: Beyond the First 50 Years, World Scientific, 2021)
The Impact: Analysing the evolving relationship between government and civil society, advocating for a more relational social contract.
- S'pore's NMP isn't irrelevant. It's just due for reform (Mothership, Nov 2025)
The Impact: Reimagining political sociology and the role of non-partisan voices in national governance.
- COVID-19 has revealed a new disadvantaged group—digital outcasts (CNA, May 2020)
The Impact: Identifying and advocating for new sociological "tribes" created by rapid systemic shifts.
- Greater whole-of-society push needed to tackle homelessness (TODAY, Jun 2019)
The Impact: Advocating for "radical kinship" and shared accountability to mend the gaps in the institutional social safety net.
Pillar III: Anthropology (collective flourishing)
Pillar III: Anthropology (collective flourishing)
Pillar III: Anthropology (collective flourishing)
The study of human and planetary flourishing through ritual, presence, and stewardship.
- [Podcast] Shades of Love: Calling on Love to Talk About Difficult Topics (Season 1)
The Impact: An experiment in dialogic anthropology, using personal storytelling and deep listening to navigate complex social issues through the unifying lens of love.
- Don’t treat mental health and climate change as isolated issues (Straits Times, 2025)
The Impact: Advocating for an integrated approach to "planetary wellbeing," recognising that human internal regulation and environmental health are inextricably linked.
- 'Depression made me rest and reset' — Anthea Ong on her brush with depression (CNA, Oct 2024)
The Impact: Using personal vulnerability as a ritual of "Human Presence" to challenge the sterile leader persona.
- A Good Space Helps You Help Others (Business Times, Oct 2018)
The Impact: Documenting the anthropology of shared spaces and the rituals of community-building.
- Responding to the Covid crisis as one Singapore community (TODAY, Apr 2020)
The Impact: A real-time study on the anthropology of crisis, exploring how collective rituals of care sustain community resilience when structures fail.
For the full living list of publications (50 as at Dec 2025), please click here.
I write to contribute to social change, but I am also changed when I write.
Anthea Ong
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