Comments on: Leadership Journeys http://fcg.com.au/insights/archives/2004/08/08/leadership-journeys/ the sustainable growth weblog Sat, 19 May 2012 11:47:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: emrgnc http://fcg.com.au/insights/archives/2004/08/08/leadership-journeys/#comment-27 emrgnc Tue, 21 Sep 2004 20:36:46 +0000 /?p=26#comment-27 This is affirmed in the echoes of the older Confucian traditions of leadership in 'The Great Learning' noted by Peter Senge in the book 'Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future' where he quotes Master Nan Huai Chin - "If you want to be a leader, you have to be a real human being... and if you want to be a great leader you have to enter the seven meditative spaces" (p186) Those seven spaces are: awareness, stopping, calmness, stillness, peace, true thinking and attainment. However to know what those words truly mean - you need to have already attained those spaces. ;-) When we let go of our concept of leadership and cultivate leaders we will find the future emerges from the group, rather than the group needing to wait for a future leader to emerge. This is affirmed in the echoes of the older Confucian traditions of leadership in ‘The Great Learning’ noted by Peter Senge in the book ‘Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future’ where he quotes Master Nan Huai Chin - “If you want to be a leader, you have to be a real human being… and if you want to be a great leader you have to enter the seven meditative spaces” (p186)

Those seven spaces are: awareness, stopping, calmness, stillness, peace, true thinking and attainment.

However to know what those words truly mean - you need to have already attained those spaces. ;-)

When we let go of our concept of leadership and cultivate leaders we will find the future emerges from the group, rather than the group needing to wait for a future leader to emerge.

]]> By: William Varey http://fcg.com.au/insights/archives/2004/08/08/leadership-journeys/#comment-21 William Varey Sun, 29 Aug 2004 01:16:56 +0000 /?p=26#comment-21 Is it necessary to go on a leadership journey to lead? I caught myself saying the other day that there are only two leadership traits that are important: tolerance for ambiguity and consistency of application. We want from our leaders leadership by example. Our leaders need to understand our value system and lead in a principled way. We want to know how we should act so as to survive. We also want those same leaders to be able to be clear when there are conflicting dilemmas, understanding the questions and resolving them successfully - that's what leadership is for. Tolerance for ambiguity is what enables this. As you both have elegantly said, because leadership is out in front, it requires authenticity in what we do and an inner judgement about that. No one else can do this for us (although they can lead us to it). Personal leadership development does not then need to go far, but it does need to go deep enough to cope with being authentic and clear in conflict - to the level of the value system that a person needs to lead in. When new challenges present themselves and the system changes or becomes more complex - we then need transformation up and not simply translation within. At that time the journey (rather than the travelling) begins. Is it necessary to go on a leadership journey to lead?

I caught myself saying the other day that there are only two leadership traits that are important: tolerance for ambiguity and consistency of application. We want from our leaders leadership by example. Our leaders need to understand our value system and lead in a principled way. We want to know how we should act so as to survive.

We also want those same leaders to be able to be clear when there are conflicting dilemmas, understanding the questions and resolving them successfully - that’s what leadership is for. Tolerance for ambiguity is what enables this.

As you both have elegantly said, because leadership is out in front, it requires authenticity in what we do and an inner judgement about that. No one else can do this for us (although they can lead us to it).

Personal leadership development does not then need to go far, but it does need to go deep enough to cope with being authentic and clear in conflict - to the level of the value system that a person needs to lead in.

When new challenges present themselves and the system changes or becomes more complex - we then need transformation up and not simply translation within. At that time the journey (rather than the travelling) begins.

]]> By: Wendy Campbell http://fcg.com.au/insights/archives/2004/08/08/leadership-journeys/#comment-20 Wendy Campbell Mon, 16 Aug 2004 12:04:37 +0000 /?p=26#comment-20 Will Thank you, as always, for your insight. Ever since I first read about Joseph Campbell's concept of the Hero's Journey, I have worked towards - indeed pushed myself towards, at times - a life of "walking my talk". OK, I don't always achieve this, but that is my goal. As Digby says, it becomes irrelevant what others think of my "talk", I am the only one to judge whether it is relevant to me or not. At the same time, I respect the "talk" of others as their own journey. As this has become a consuming passion, I am no longer pulled back to past events and issues. They sort of disappear out of my life, unless someone reminds me. And I feel light:-) Thanks for this space:-) Blessings Wendy Will
Thank you, as always, for your insight. Ever since I first read about Joseph Campbell’s concept of the Hero’s Journey, I have worked towards - indeed pushed myself towards, at times - a life of “walking my talk”. OK, I don’t always achieve this, but that is my goal. As Digby says, it becomes irrelevant what others think of my “talk”, I am the only one to judge whether it is relevant to me or not. At the same time, I respect the “talk” of others as their own journey.

As this has become a consuming passion, I am no longer pulled back to past events and issues. They sort of disappear out of my life, unless someone reminds me. And I feel light:-)

Thanks for this space:-)

Blessings
Wendy

]]> By: Digby Scott http://fcg.com.au/insights/archives/2004/08/08/leadership-journeys/#comment-19 Digby Scott Mon, 09 Aug 2004 05:06:41 +0000 /?p=26#comment-19 Will Well said. In my experience, the more I live life as a journey of discovery about myself, the more effective I am as an authentic leader of my own life. The inevitable(?)by-product is that others are attracted to this authenticity, and so, in this way, I lead others. And, in doing so, I complete the cycle because I learn more about myself in leading others... I've found that not all "others" are automatically attracted to MY authentic life. However, the more authentic I become, a) it doesn't matter what others think, and b) there's something about just BEING authentic that is attractive to others, regardless of how it may manifest. So being authentic is the key (for me) to effectively leading anyone else. Journey on! Digby Will

Well said. In my experience, the more I live life as a journey of discovery about myself, the
more effective I am as an authentic leader of my own life. The inevitable(?)by-product is that
others are attracted to this authenticity, and so, in this way, I lead others. And, in doing so,
I complete the cycle because I learn more about myself in leading others…

I’ve found that not all “others” are automatically attracted to MY authentic life.
However, the more authentic I become, a) it doesn’t matter what others think, and b) there’s
something about just BEING authentic that is attractive to others, regardless of how it may
manifest. So being authentic is the key (for me) to effectively leading anyone else.

Journey on!

Digby

]]>