I'm honored to have been a part of the "co-learning community" and collaborative process leading to Beloved Economies: Transforming how we work, a resource for leaders of change.
In conversation with a number of friends and colleagues about the recent violence in the United States Capital during which thousands of mostly white men and white nationalists stormed it looking for the leaders of the Congress and defiling, defacing and destroying property and symbols of democracy for hours, I heard some trying to make sense of what happened as “good people doing bad things;” or “good people making bad choices.” Many people of conscience are trying to understand what they saw, what it means and how and why it happened...
We are battling the fires from an eruption of the shadow, resulting from repeated and ignored suppression. The flames will be quelled. When they are, we must not breathe a sigh of relief - it will be the beginning of the real work.
Medical research indicates mixed messages heighten anxiety and confusion in patients. In addition to the patient, the family or support system should also be treated. Systems and teams are no different. Confusion is normal during change. If a leader injects conflicting messages, the systems becomes trapped and preempted from transformation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has strained and frayed, or cut what has tethered us and given us a sense of safety during this crisis. Moorings secure what is within, so they don’t become adrift. Discover what moorings we need most right now.
The International Leadership Association (ILA) is featuring many thought leaders in a discussion on leadership during a pandemic. Read a foreword by Katherine Tyler Scott and her article.
As with any major crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, it is disorienting. One way to deal with this is to examine what is important. My remarks from the 2009 International Leadership Association (ILA) Annual Conference were given during a time in which that Country was remembering its “Velvet Revolution,” a time that called forth courage, spirit and boldness, qualities so needed now.
