Gaia: Integral Leadership

SEMINAR Integral Leadership for Sustainable Evolution, 4-9 Aug NL

http://AnoukA.gaia.com — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:18:36 GMT

Dear colleaues,
Please consider spreading the word about or attending this amazing seminar for emerging leaders and change makers. You're welcome!

Are you awake? 
Are you on a mission? 
Do you have a big ego and an even bigger heart?

This seminar serves the evolution of emerging leaders all over the globe. Everyone, entrepreneurs, artists, managers, teachers, trainers, technicians and consultants, are welcome to join us from August 4th to 9th, 2009 in the Netherlands!

Keywords: integral leadership, integral, Ken Wilber, sustainability, evolution, innovation, triple-p, cradle to cradle, C2C, green technology, integral theory, Ervin Laszlo, Herman Wijffels

Your trainers will be Clint Fuhs, Irini Rockwell, Barrett Brown, …

http://www.experienceintegral.org
http://events.linkedin.com/Integral-Leadership-Sustainable/pub/77440

Our PURPOSE for this event is to assist emerging leaders and change agents worldwide (consultants, politicians, artists, bankers, students, entrepreneurs, etc) with taking the next step in their contribution to a sustainable evolution on our planet.

We do this by:
- facilitating the emergence of personal purpose and reflection on talents,
- by offering the tools and the latest applications of theory in the fields of leadership and sustainability and
- by creating a welcoming space that invites you to to let go and grow together.

We are really excited about the seminar and how it is coming together. It is going to be an amazing experience for all of us.

Integral Seminar in CA, Aug 2008--includes Integral Leadership

http://bhart.gaia.com — Sun, 04 May 2008 23:44:34 GMT

Hi everyone,

Wanting to share this with the community as leadership will be a strong topical and experiential component of the week.

August 10-15, 2008 in Santa Cruz, CA

'Integral Life for Generation Next' (20-35 year olds)

Presenters include:

Diane Hamilton- II
Clint Fuhs- II
Jonathan Reams- Integral Review
Jamie Wheal- Stagen Leadership Institute
Stephan Martineau- Next Step Integral
Jesse McKay- Pacific Integral
and many more...

As well, presentations include:

-Stages of Development: Expanding Perspective Taking
-Cultivating Freedom and Fullness: A Dual Center of Gravity Map of Human Development
-Integral Sex and the Urge for Communion
-Leadership as a Spiritual Practice
-Developmental Maturation of Inter-subjective Fields
-Parenting and Relationship within the Great Arc of Life
-Right Livelihood in the Age of Abundance
-Bring Your Shadow into the Light
-Big Mind for Generation Next
-Body Logic and Dynamic Play
-Embodied Sacred Sound

and many, many more...!

For more information, visit http://www.i-next.org

Re: Introductions and First Question

http://smartchick.gaia.com — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:43:05 GMT

Brett,

You said - "Postmodern voices cry for "transformational leadership," modern voices call for "transactional leadership," and traditional voices demand "authoritarian, command-and-control" leadership. Different mindsets, in different contexts, point to very diverse approaches to leadership. How can we make sense of this apparent complexity?"

Yes - and often all these voice are present within one organization at the same time! For me, integral leadership is about navigating these different needs, speaking to each in a language they understand, and finding a way of moving forward that serves the whole and respects the differences. Not an easy task.

I still consider myself a beginner in weaving together integral theory and leadership. I do feel the framework of integral theory helps me understand how all the various leadership and management models I've studied over the years fit together...and where the holes are!

At the moment, my focus is on bringing more intentional focus on the internal experience, namely spirituality, into the workplace. But this is fodder for another thread...

So glad to find this group! Thanks for having me.

Stephanie

Re: Integral Leadership in Health Care

http://allthingschange.gaia.com — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 07:10:02 GMT

Certainly bringing together allopathic practices and preventative or naturopathic practices is important,. This notion is carrying the integrative medicine movement through pioneers at Duke Medical and IONS (Institute of Noetic Sciences). However, he real key to an Integral medicine is to recognize and give care to the interior of the healer, thus bringing in the UL quadrant, a quadrant often sacrificed to the intense exterior demands that the profession thrives on. An integral medicine will recognize that to truly be able to create health and balance on the outside, the healer must work towards a more balanced and healty interior. This can be done most immediately through an integral life practice, or a series of modules dedicated to developing the individual on many developmental lines. But most important, in my eyes, for a health care professional would be the mental and spiritual modes, as well as ethics, morals, and compassion. These lines can be developed through different contemplative practices and mental exercizes, as well as psychotherapy and shadow work. Through these practices, the professional will be more open to experience and more dynamic in their own healing capacities.

Peace,
A

Re: Leadership is a Choice, Not a Position

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 07:22:04 GMT

"When Covey states this, he is using leadership to mean something an individual does"

yep. Stephen Covey's model of leadership is partial to the individual most of the time. then again, his target audience are individuals. Covey's model is not as comprehensive as AQAL, but it is simple and helpful enough to understand meaning, purpose, and developing character from the inside-out. when it comes to leadership, i prefer to focus on the strengths of Covey's model rather than its lack.

but i'm addiing Flawed Advice and the Management Trap to my reading list. so i can benefit from both worlds :)

Re: Leadership is a Choice, Not a Position

http://leadcoach.gaia.com — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:56:55 GMT

When Covey states this, he is using leadership to mean something an individual does. I personally think there are more useful ways to approach the subject. In any case, Chris Argyris points out some of the problems with the prescriptive approaches by writers on management (and leadership) such a Covey in his book, Flawed Advice and the Management Trap. I think it is a must read for those interested in the subject of leadership. Russ

Leadership is a Choice, Not a Position

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:49:13 GMT

"...leadership is a choice, not a position."

that potent quote is from the book The 8th Habit. i think habit #8 is one of the most integral ways of viewing the practice of leadership. for what it's worth, this book has lots of diagrams ;) here's a relevant link on this topic.

Red ~C Diary: The 8th Habit

Re: ...leadership practiced by a person with integral consciousne

http://leadcoach.gaia.com — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:38:23 GMT

Gosh, Albert, I can't be lieve I let a month go by without engaging you on this. I am finding that there are so many information streams these days to keep up with that I let some slip that I would rather not. As you must know, I have a deep appreciation for the work you are doing and appreciate the perspective you bring. I very much value the "SDi" (Spiral Dynamics Integral) perspective that you bring to the subject of leadership. One reason to value this is in observing some of the work of Don Beck in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere that exemplifies this notion of the Spiral Wizard. The SDi approach is one of the developmental models that are important in thinking about differentiation and integration in our efforts to understand and comprehend what is involved in the processes of leadership and the practices of leaders. As you point out so well, it is not just about the individual, but the collective as well. You report an extraordinary experience around leadership. We need more of these. If you or anyone else knows of someone who has intentionally applied integral approaches to leadership in any kind of system (community, organization, etc.) Please let me know. Russ

Seeking Change Agents

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 01:56:16 GMT

What are Change Agents?

Are you a Change Agent? Do you know some of them?

We'd like to meet YOU!

Re: ...leadership practiced by a person with integral consciousne

http://voyager.gaia.com — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 08:01:28 GMT

Russ,

for all who do not know your Integral leadership Review, here the link to the actual issue:

http://www.leadcoach.com/archives/e-journal/2006/2006_08.html

I see various Dynamics of leadership, as Beck/Cowan outline in their book "Spiral Dynamics. I can only recommend it again. They mention Meme Wizards who -like Zig Ziglar, Lee Iacocca, Bill Gates, Donald Trump , Carl Rogers et al. who act brilliantly inside a specific Vmeme or in the transition between two ones.

Wizards of Change like Malcolm X or Martin Luther King orRonald Reagan have significant impact because they intuitively understand that effective leadership usually combines elements of both Individual/Elite (warm color) and Communal/Collective (cool color) vmemes.

And then there are the Spiral Wizards. As Beck/Cowan say:

"Spiral Wizards instinctively roam over vast mindscapes seeing patterns and connections others do not notice because the First Tiers filters do not allow them to. .."

Especially in global conflicts and hot spot areas like the Middle East obviously all kinds of Wizards and Leaders are needed.

In the August newsletter of Pat Grove Coaching Academy (http://www.patgrove.com/) there was a short reflelction of Pat Grove about his dealing with personal issues vs. organizational matters. This is especially interesting for me as I was focused most years on personal matters of UL and UR and want to explore and discover the relationship between Upper and lower quadrants.

Integral leadership seems to involve more than any single existing approach can provide!

Pat Grove:

1. Who Builds Your Box?

Does your best thinking sometimes leave you feeling flat or even trapped? Do you perhaps worry that if everything you were working for came about your life would be smaller than you might wish?

In business, in art, in life we sometimes feel as if acting on our best ideas will box us in. If we hold this fear as a problem, we get stuck. (Any fear we hold in life we will eventually experience and then make it right.) We assess that we lack motivation, intentions; goals or that we have a problem with procrastination. We become preoccupied with what's wrong with us, them or it and we stop participating in our lives. In short, for fear of being boxed in we end up in the box, constrained!!!

The good news is we can get out of the box, and the way out of the box is going inside of it.

Here's the deal. What you resist persists. Instead of struggling with your inability to take action, embrace it, go along with it, and surrender to it. Look head on at what is bothering you, what the issue is or what the concern is, what makes the box too small. Draw a box and write all the issues and concerns in it. Outside the box name and write what is missing for you in your imagined future, and then recontextualise your situation to include that missing something. Stay with your competing priorities; give yourself permission to have them, hence engaging the tension between them until they morph into a new field of possibility.

Essentially, you will be looking at what concerns you instead of away from it, and you will be thinking in AND terms ('I want to create this AND this AND this.') instead of OR terms ('I can create this OR this.') This is the significant difference between decisions and choices, which are far ranging.

For example, I've been resisting focusing my work on individuals and various other people. I was afraid that this focus would leave out much of what I am passionate about: leadership development, organisation transformation, personal transformation, somatic learning, and coach training, improve as a team building and communications tool. In short, declaring a niche felt like building a box, yet not declaring it was equivalent to standing still. That's no way to build a business.

I spoke to my teams, and they helped me to name my concerns, the walls, the barriers, the constraints, if you will, of my box. Inside of the box was also the number of people, locally as well as internationally who had stolen my work claiming it to be theirs and left me destitute. I looked head on at the passions that I was afraid of leaving behind, or that could be stolen again, and I also looked at my fear of rejection. AS soon as I realized that my own assessments and assumptions had built this confining vision, had placed me in the ‘belly of the whale with all its negativity and doom and petty emotions, the walls, boundaries of my box dissolved and I saw a virtually limitless landscape, a range of possibilities that incorporates all of my talents and passions in service of this gift.

I cannot overstate the clarity, focus, and excitement that accompanied this shift. Once I knew that I had built the too-small box, I was free to design a dream-box, one that gives me structural support and room to grow.

We build boxes that limit our relationships, our careers, our dreams, our box is designed by us to survive not to expand us. Fortunately, we can deconstruct our boxes and engage creatively with our apparently competing priorities, in the same way we constructed them through language. Sometimes the solutions arise quickly, sometimes slowly. Yet they will always arise if we are willing to let go of our old ways of observing."

BR

Albert

Re: ...leadership practiced by a person with integral consciousne

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 12:06:31 GMT

"Leader is a role that appears briefly in the life of a system. No one is a leader 24/7. Hero and leader are two different concepts, although they may overlap. And in both cases they are like snapshots in the life of an organization or a society. That is, if you take a still photo at any given time in the life of a system you will see someone in the role of leader (when that is reaquired by the life conditions of the system). If you take a snapshot at another time, it may be someone else in that role."

this is such a cool perspective. i like it!

to paraphrase: leadership is like a hat that people wear at different stages in their lifetime. but there are just people who look better with that hat than others :)

there are also breeds of leaders and styles of leadership depending on the personality and temperament of the leader. not to mention that there are different sectors that leaders tend to focus on depending on the stage of moral development of the leader. case in point: social entrepreneurship.

America's Best Leaders

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 11:57:00 GMT

here's a cool article. check it out!

USNews.com: Special Report: America's Best Leaders

Great leadership, the public tells the pollsters, is in disappointingly short supply. That's why U.S. News is pleased to introduce readers to an impressive roster of Americans who are a heartening exception to the rule. From business entrepreneurs to politicians to directors of pathbreaking nonprofits, "America's Best Leaders" are a remarkably accomplished group, selected by an independent committee of judges assembled by the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. In monthly profiles, U.S. News will highlight these emerging leaders: achievers who are relatively new to the public scene but have already shown great promise. Then in October, we will present our second annual salute to Best Leaders. (Last year's group can be found below.) Some of the faces may be familiar; others, while giants in their fields, may be introduced to readers for the first time. Their leadership styles are as varied as the organizations they manage. But what they all share is a clearly articulated vision, measurable results, and, in the words of one management guru, "big hairy audacious goals." We hope their examples will prove instructional for future leaders—and for all who strive to innovate, to motivate, and to inspire.

Re: ...leadership practiced by a person with integral consciousne

http://leadcoach.gaia.com — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 16:06:44 GMT

I have just joined Zaadz, specifically with the interest of exploring the subject of leadership with others. I have perused a few of the comments and will read the rest before the day is out. By way of introducing myself, here are some prelimary comments. One of the things that Joseph Rost pointed out in his 1991 book, Leadership for the 21st Century, is that most of the literature on leaders and leadership fail to define these terms and, furthermore, equate leadership with good or effective management. Here is his definition: “Leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and collaborators who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purposes.” Note that there is a distinction between leader and leadership. I suggest: Leader is a role that appears briefly in the life of a system. No one is a leader 24/7. Hero and leader are two different concepts, although they may overlap. And in both cases they are like snapshots in the life of an organization or a society. That is, if you take a still photo at any given time in the life of a system you will see someone in the role of leader (when that is reaquired by the life conditions of the system). If you take a snapshot at another time, it may be someone else in that role. Leadership is the movie. Leadership is the integral dynamics of individual leader, follower/collaborator, culture and systems. It is the unfolding drama of individuals moving in and out of roles and life conditions, context, requirements drive or elicit behaviors. The term integral is used in a variety of ways. From Gebser it is a developmental stage. Wilber also uses it this way, but Wilber also includes his theory and maps as integral. These maps and the theory are not just about one stage, but all stages (lines, states, types, etc.), AQAL. Thus, when we talk about an integral leader, we can focus on UL and UR. However, the leader (as a role) shows up in what Wilber calls an occurrence. So, it is necessary to consider UL and UR as part of a four quadrant model. Thus, culture and systems, LL and LR, need to be included whether talking about a leader an an integral stage or at any stage of development. When we are talking about integral theory or mapping, then we are talking not just about the individual leader at a brief moment in time, but we are talking about leaderS showing up in a system over time, in each occurrence with variable culture, systems, life conditions, etc. I think it is important to have some shared understanding of what we mean by integral, as well as terms like leader and leadership. I offer the above as an invitation to build such an understanding. In this way we may avoid some traps. And as long as I am at it, let me point out one big one. Chris Argyris, Flawed Advice and the Management Trap, is a must read if you are interested in consulting, coaching or any kind of advice giving. He points out that much of the literature providing advice to existing and would be executives is flawed because it is not actionable. When we make lists of traits or behaviors and offer them as guides to effective leadership we are giving flawed advice. Such lists need to be accompanied by information that is actionable that an individual can follow to implement the advice. Now here's the rub. We do not operate from a blank slate. Everyone is not capable of everything. Everyone is capable of doing and being what they are capable of. Obvious? Well, maybe. But the assumptions we use about this are significant when making lists of things folks must do to be effective leaders, integral or otherwise. Having already turned this into a tome I will make one more point. These comments in no way take away from the value of providing opportunities for people to build capabilities in leadership. When we are talking about people with integral consciousness we are talking about a very, very, very few people. We are engaged in a big experiment. We are testing to see if we can stimulate such consciousness through things like integral life practices and the like.It is still an experiment. There is still a lot we don't know. Proceding by faith can inspire, but it is risky business in a multi-level world in which leadership is an important variable. Developing oruselves and others is one hope, but most evidence suggests that this is going to take a while. We need effective leadership, collaboration and followership now.

Re: ...leadership practiced by a person with integral consciousne

http://Monifaye.gaia.com — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 15:08:20 GMT

Thanks Brett for your insight. I agree with you that a person does not necessarily need to be of integral consciousness to embody integral principles. KW stated in WIE that a the ability to take another's perspective, place yourself in another persons shoes, is a vital tool for expanding ones consciousness. Of course this is easier said than done. In my experience while working with other people [personally and professionally], this concept is a necessity in order to mesh well with others. But in general I think that people have steadfast boundries and practice "active listening" instead integral leadership.

As a result of my exposure as a RN to many individuals with different races, cultures, beliefs, values, illnesses, socioeconomic status, education, age, etc. , I have been able to adjust my interaction in a way to suit their needs. It actually is a necessity, because for those that do not do this are unhappy with their jobs. Consequently, this practice has contributed to my growth intellectually, spirtually and psychlogically.

In conclusion Brett, I think that an integral leader is one who maintains fluidity, flexibility, and has the ability to take anothers perspective. { And also has the opportunity to attend the I-I leadership workship...}

Re: Integral Leadership in Health Care

http://folksoul.gaia.com — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 07:51:54 GMT

i think you are absolutely right about needing innovation from within and i applaud your interest and efforts truly. my friend into the lighting stuff is also a zaadster (actually the one who got me into zaadz) so i will see if i can find his info for you and forward to you. you and he should definitely know about each other.

-d

Re: Integral Leadership in Health Care

http://Monifaye.gaia.com — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 01:57:43 GMT

d- Thanks for the response and recommendations. I will do some research. The lighting project is very interesting..I would like to inquire about the findings. I agree that health care is a complex issue, addressing these issues from various perspectives is a strong integral approach. Currently, my experience has been that there are those that focus on purely an allopathic and cost effective model and those that focus on prevention {nutrition, emotions, everything you mentioned. etc}. There are few that integrate the two, or the all, really. To keep it simple, there is a lack of the marriage of sense and soul. Everyone's way is the only way. I believe that we need to innovate with in the system as well as outside of it. Fortunately, I am in a position where I can innovate from within and still maintain my integrity while doing it. Monica

leadership practiced w/ integral consciousness - chaordic leader

http://folksoul.gaia.com — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 23:55:28 GMT

for those who may not know... there is a site called 'chaordic.org' which i understand was started by the former head of visa (if memory serves me correctly) which is an examination of new business models. haven't researched it enough to see how it would apply to integral models, but it is designed as a way of building new paradigms for business/leadership.

for the info page... check out:

http://chaordic.org/who_we_are.html

-d

Re: Integral Leadership in Health Care

http://folksoul.gaia.com — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 23:49:05 GMT

rachel naomi bremen has some books now that are in trainings for doctors, and i think has helped to get a course in the med system as well. her books 'kitchen table wisdom' and 'my grandfather's blessing' both have a lot of different stories about her work with people on their health/emotional issues.

a friend is working on lighting issues and how they affect the health care industry in ways many others do not know about.

i think healthcare is a complex situation and much of the issue with it is that our country measures its own health based on 'finances' and that is the measure that is displayed much of the time most prominently. our 'nasdaq' score. we don't measure our success based on fulfillment in many cases or even on health. often the financial success of the 'healthcare' field is what is touted, not the failings of the industry. i think if we as a country are to be integral on any level that we need to have other measures that we watch as a whole. we talk about weight a lot and money a lot. thin and rich folks are often not very fulfilled, unless they are integrating beyond those ideas.

we can innovate within the system, but i think we need to innovate throughout the marketing of many things and the honesty with which we deal with addictions socially that lead to the health issues in the first place, so we are not arriving at the crisis points and wondering why we are there in the first place. looking at the healthcare situation as not just the medical centers, but the nutrition (which you mentioned) and the day to day quality of life for people in a number of different areas - fulfillment, nutrition, community, connection, nature, thinking, lifestyle all interrelated components and maybe even overlapping in that list as it is just off the cuff, but a start to the dialogue, or early continuation.

-d

Integral Leadership in Health Care

http://Monifaye.gaia.com — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 22:32:42 GMT

The united states is in a health care crisis. Although I am aware that this is an obvious statement, i must point out the irony that in the richest country in the world we have people that are malnourished, we have increasing numbers of the uninsured, a nursing shortage, extraordinary high rates of malpractice insurance, and an aging population that will continue to expand without enough supports and services that are needed to promote high quality of life. And this is just the begining. ...That being said, it is imperative that we have a strong network of leaders in the health care industry. These leaders are needed at many levels and it almost seems an impossible goal to reach because it is such a complex issue. Providers, management , policy, insurance, informed consumers etc.

As a registered nurse I have had a lot of exposure to many different facets of health care... ER, alternative medicine, long term care, policy research in DC, and as a consumer. As a whole, the system is fragmented and narcisstic. Please excuse my frustration, but my father who is only 59 years old recently delcared that he is "checking out" at age 70, no matter what..because he cannot bear the thought of getting old in this country....I am sure many others feel this way and as a RN I am angry that this system that is supposed to "help and heal" people has left them utterly hopeless.

But I am not giving up!! I am pursuing the opportunity to become an integral leader in health care.

So where do we begin? I understand that I-I will have an integral medicine training in 2007. What other efforts are brewing?

Thanks for reading.

Monica RN.BSN

Re: ...leadership practiced by a person with integral consciousne

http://siona.gaia.com — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 19:43:15 GMT

I would love to see this unpacked. Fascinating stuff.

Off the top of my head, I can think of a few - to my mind - important aspects of integral leadership, among them the idea of servant leadership, which involves a certain trust in the autopoesis and ability of groups to self-organize. (To clarify: I'm wary of the term servant leadership because I don't mean to imply that the leader abdicates her position, rather, she increases her power and that of others by encouraging a shared decision-making criteria.) But perhaps this is still only at the level of tranformational leadership; I haven't thought about what a beyond might look like.

It's hard, because when I think too hard about this (or focus on the being angle) the beautiful 'trouble' with all integral approaches is that they end up at that Omega point at which no leadership / action / etc. is necessary: the world is always and already perfect. The ultimate integral leadership entails the dissolving of leadership altogether. But I recognize that this topping out, again, is ignoring levels. ;)

Perhaps someone wants to give an AQAL breakdown of integral leadership, if that is, it hasn't already been done . .