Leadership for Collective Wisdom

 

Leadership for Collective Wisdom - A network of people seeking to embody and radiate outward principles of collaboration, non violence, and wisdom necessary to address existential issues of life and be equipped with the tools, skills, and practices necessary to respond effectively in the world.

FIVE CONDITIONS FOR THE EMERGENCE OF COLLECTIVE WISDOM

1. Deep Listening

Listening with an intention that the other person feels heard and seen; creating the conditions and presence for the other to more fully come into their own highest being.

Listening to what is said and unsaid.

Listening with one's full self, with heart, mind, body, and soul.

2. Suspend Certainty

Capacity to suspend what we think is right, correct, or proper for a period of time, allowing other ways of knowing and other people to contribute to an expanded understanding.

Suspending habits of understanding which are solely rational and logical - allowing novel ways of knowing to be experienced, e.g. from cerebral ways of understanding to emotional and intuitive ways of knowing, from rational logical mind to mythic spiritual mind.

3. See Whole Systems

Seek diverse perspective.

Remain alert to the intrinsic interdependence of one's own group, other groups, larger collectives, and our shared Earth.

Ask essential questions.

Design whole systems to take into account the interdependence of the parts.

Attend to all facets of organizational health – leadership, relationships, teams, individual role performance, organizational purpose, outcomes, and consistent strategy.

Sensemaking - the on-going inquiry into how individuals and groups create coherence.

4. Gather for Group Emergence

Cultivate parallel ways of knowing - intuition, intellect, somatic awareness, respect for ancestral knowledge, regard for nature and physical space.

Be alert to what is emerging in the energetic field of the group - both thoughts and emotions.

Allow disturbances to established ideas or norms to lead to greater discernment and group resiliency.

Create safe spaces for dialogue.

Maintain respect for others, for relationships, for human decency.

Practice restraint in speaking with clear articulation of your own ideas, feelings, and passions.

Attend to the emotions arising within yourself and others.

5. Trust in the Extraordinary

Trust in what can emerge above and beyond your current understanding.

Welcome all that is arising.

Resist being constrained by the limitations of normative values or other's expectations.

Recognize the power of synchronicity and meaningful coincidence to shape choices and inspire awe and action.

 

This article is published here with permission. Alan Briskin is a leadership and organizational consultant. He is author of The Stirring of Soul in the Workplace and co-author of Daily Miracles, Bringing Your Soul to Work, and The Power of Collective Wisdom. 

2 Past Reflections