Changing our own consciousness
I think our readings point to an inherent need to re-program our cognitive schemas. Shared leadership, leading innovation, leaders vs. authority figures, leadership is everyone's business, it all comes down to releasing our old perceptions of leaders and leadership and changing our consciousness to effectively promote the common good in the new millennium. Life is not hierarchy, it is interconnection; a web, not a ladder. We traditionally think very linear and structured, but the natural state of things is networked and fairly chaotic. Human society has been able to exist outside of this reality for generations, but we have a hit a turning point. We must recognize and live by the inter-connective, holistic, symbiotic rules of nature.
From "Ghandi, King, and Climate Change":
As Albert Einstein said, "You cannot solve a problem at the same level of consciousness that created it." So the first task in tackling global climate change is to change our own consciousness.
Gandhi and King understood this. In fact, they eerily anticipated our predicament and speak to us across the decades about it. They both quite clearly foresaw a time when technological development divorced from development of consciousness would threaten the survival of the planet.
In his last sermon before his death King said, "Through our scientific and technological genius, we have made of this world a neighborhood and yet we have not had the ethical commitment to make of it a brotherhood...We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools."
Other highlights from the article:
"recognizing the shared humanity and ultimate non-separation between people, even those on opposite sides of a burning question."
"We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality."
"Changing entrenched power in favor of truth begins within, challenging our own moral imagination, changing our own thinking."
"Such inner work is within the scope of any committed person, and it is the key to changing the world."
Read the full article here: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/ghandi-king-climate-change.php
Are you ready to re-program? What can we do to change our consciousness?
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Comments
Thanks for sharing such a great article. At times I find the holistic approach to solving problems quite counter intuitive to human nature. Or maybe it is better stated counter intuitive to Western thought processes.
I think this because it is hard enough for humans to get one thing done at a time. It is quite difficult to find one that can multitask to the point of being able to truely solve a problem holisitically. Human nature in the western world from my experience tells me that we are much better able to drill into detail and overanalyse a problem then be able to multitask many things at once.
Maybe that is the beauty of this new philoshophy of leadership. It challenges us as leaders to treat those around us as professionals in specific areas, and then figure out how to mobilize all of these people to move towards a common vision. For a leader to be able to embrace this new philosphy of leadership they need to step away from the details and organize those who specialize in the details to move towards a larger vision.
How do you manage your way through this paradox of leadership?
Another thought I had is as follows:
While it is essential to move towards a better society, we occasionally fall into to the pitful of being to idealistic. The perfect society would ideally move us all towards a brotherhood philosophy instead of a neighborhood philosophy as stated above, but the nuts and bolts of putting theory into practice is a hurdle I struggle to overcome.
I think that beauty of true community is that we all really do need to depend upon each other. As leaders we need to repeat that phrase in our thoughts and actions, as it relates to how we address this in society I'm still stuck in the theory.
Any thoughts on implementation, would be fun to discuss. What do you think?
Posted by: Bryan Schachtele | April 15, 2008 11:00 AM
I have been tossing the concept of holistic leadership around in my head for a few weeks now, although I hadn't verbalized it until now. I don't make the same connection about multitasking, holistic approach and how that relates to Western thought processes. I think Bryan is definitely correct that a holistic approach is traditionally a very non-Western concept. However, I would argue that multitasking is not part of a holistic approach. Multitasking really seems to be a Western creation - that each task is counted and achieved in itself. Multitasking can be the simultaneous achievement of many tasks that are treated as if they are unrelated to each other.
The concepts (tasks) of quality leadership in K&P's "Leadership Challenge" are all very related. One of my challenges with K&P is the sometimes overwhelming amount of facets and steps to quality leadership. The challenge becomes easier as you realize that working on one aspect of leadership, lays ground work for another. i.e. Establishing trust will occur as one collaborates, communicates or rewards. When you concentrate on one aspect of leadership from K&P, you can almost unknowingly be achieving others.
Posted by: Nick Deffley | April 15, 2008 04:55 PM