The Inner Path of Leadership
Joseph Jaworski and Betty S. Flowers
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1998
“One of the most important roles we can play individually or collectively is to create an opening, or to ‘listen’ to the implicate order unfolding, and then to create dreams, visions, and stories that we sense at our center want to happen…”
I’ve been hanging out at the beach in Bridgehampton, NY for a few weeks now, often five to six hours a day not including my early morning jog to the beach and the swim I take to cool down in the middle of my run. That has given me plenty of time to stare off into the ocean, to think and not to think, surf when there are waves, take long walks looking for shells and to read. I just finished Synchronicity by Joseph Jaworski, a perfect way to continue the meditation that began with Presence, of which Jaworski was a coauthor. For someone who has theoretically spent all of adult life in one leadership role or another – the point of view put forth by Jaworski, based in large part from insights he derived through meetings with David Bohm and Francisco Varela as well as Robert Greenleaf’s book Servant Leadership, held out the challenge, opportunity and possibility for a fundamentally new way for me to lead.
“true leadership is about creating a domain in which we continually learn and become more capable of participating in our unfolding future. A true leader thus sets the stage on which predictable miracles, synchronistic in nature, can – and do – occur.”
“the deeper territory of leadership – collectively ‘listening’ to what is wanting to emerge in the world, and then having the courage to do what is required.”
As I was reading the final chapter of the book – my cell phone rings – on the phone is Sara Schley, who is working with Peter Senge to write the Fifth Discipline Sustainability Fieldbook. She wanted to interview me about my leadership of Seventh Generation. I spent over two hours talking with her about what I felt were the greatest challenges and opportunities for business to plan a leadership role in the blossoming world of sustainability. She asked great questions, which allowed me to address the issues I was most passionate about.
Seems like synchronicity.
(T)rue leadership is about creating a domain in which we continually learn and become more capable of participating in our unfolding future. A true leader thus sets the stage on which predictable miracles, synchronistic in nature, can – and do – occur. (T)he deeper territory of leadership – collectively “listening” to what is wanting to emerge in the world, and then having the courage to do what is required.”
“The entire past is enfolded in us in a very subtle way. If you reach deeply into yourself, you are reaching into the very essence of mankind.” “We are all connected. If this could be taught, and if people could understand it, we would have a very different consciousness.” “(P)eople create barriers between each other by their fragmentary thought. Each one operates separately. When these barriers have been dissolved, then there arises one mind…”