Leadership Track: Practices for Transformational Leadership!

-Transforming Self, Systems and Society-!

! With Jane Allen & David Rooke! ! ! What does it really take to forge new paths in times of complex, radical change?! !
! What does it really take to forge new paths in times of complex, radical change?! As leaders and change makers, many of us are discovering ways of organising and working that are more agile and creative, and that lead to new perspectives and solutions. This not only requires new tools, business models, and maps it also requires greater levels of experimentation, co-creation, and risk-taking in the midst of forces that are often beyond our control. We are called to deepen our courage and resilience, and strengthen our connections to communities of learning, trust, and support.!

In order to transform our organisations and institutions and society, we must transform ourselves. Deep change drives from within external systemic change is not enough. Those of us concerned with leading change in organisations and society must develop inner transformational intelligence.

How to develop our inner transformational intelligence?!

Practices are key to the development of Transformational Intelligence. Practices are activities which require our attention and can be polished by repetition and, crucially have qualities which enable enrichment through an inner directed attention that emerges through the activity itself. Practices may be esoteric, like Tai Chi; they also may be more practical like developing an appreciative mind or even leading a meeting.!

! ! Day 1: How Action and Inquiry can have a profound impact on Leadership! ! ...But rst some insights of participants about how they feel about leadership:! !

...'The power of small acts of leadership'...'Leaders are often alone'...'It's pretty scary'...'We are all leaders some of the time, and we are all followers all of the time'...'! Stepping into and accepting the unknown, the not knowing'...'! Leading and following is like a dance'...'Anybody can be a leader at any given moment in time'...'Leadership is creating space for others'...! ...'When I take myself seriously, I think I'm a leader. When I don't take myself seriously, other people think I am a leader'...'Leadership is to live what wants to be born through you and face all the demons and good things on the path'...'Nobody can be a responsible leader without being a responsible follower'...'Leaders become only leaders with the rst and second follower, otherwise they are just clowns'.. !

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(See: YouTube fragment about leadership and followeship "Dancing alone" - ! http://youtu.be/I0dQbv42gNE)!

To deal with complex change and to transform systems...you need: practice, practice, Practice...and six transformational capabilities...!

! ! Action Inquiry - Inquiry based experimentation! !

Action Inquiry! Dancing between vision and detail! Courageous use of power! Positive use of language ! Passionate detachment! Systems leadership!

- An approach to leadership that is simultaneously inquiring and productive-! ! ...'Despite the rhetoric, are we succeeding? Was my contribution of value? What will success look like? What's my goal? What would transform this? What is happening? What constraints his vision? Is this worthwhile? How am I doing?...'! ! How we make sense of the world determines what we see, and thus understand to be possible this is our transformational intelligence. It shapes where we put our energy and commitment and determines how we are present to the world. Be aware that we are often blind to the context and to the whole. Also, we lter information through our own lenses and by doing so affect the information...!

! Three realms of Inquiry! ! ME! ! ! ! !

WE!

SYSTEMS ! !

Inquiry into ! ! ! Relationships, interaction! ! yourself. How you ! ! between yourself and others! ! feel, think and behave! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! How am I reacting to !! How are we interacting?! ! the outside world? ! ! What is there between us?! ! How am I being?! ! How do we feel?! ! ! What goes on inside of me? What does the other need?! How does this affect my relations?! !

Understanding the social,! political, economic and! structural dynamics of the! system as whole! ! What is happening?! What does the data say?!

Transformational Leadership requires us to pay attention at these 3 levels at the same time. It is an inquiry in to the 3 realms of knowing. This is a constant inside out & outside in process ! SO PAY ATTENTION!!!

! Action Inquiry is a...! !

Practices !
Take time to create space, connect with yourself and reect. Notice what you notice.! Ask good questions and listen carefully to others: try to understand how others think and why they do what they do.! Actively seek feedback from others about your interactions with them.! Look at your reality with fresh curiosity as if you were from another planet! Consciously create small and more dramatic experiments, with curiosity, passion and detachment

Skill...! Process...! Conscious leadership style! Mind-set and attitude! Way of Being (and Doing)!!

Some insights from participants:!

...'You can't change time, but you can change attention'...'we tend to take the 'human' out of the system'...'the space in between is part of the relationship'...'practice, practice, practice'...'think deeper! You'll need to do it in order to see'...'It's a journey'...!

! ! Day 2: Courageous Use of Power ! !

...'I came to learn about leadership and what I realised is that I am above all learning about myself'...!

! ! The Place of the Shadow: Authority and Obedience! ! - Why do people behave sometimes in ways that contradicts their values?- ! ! !

The Milgram Experiment: Obedience to Authority (see: http://youtu.be/WXfgA-cvCWA). 'The social psychology of this century reveals a major lesson: often it is not so much the kind of person a man is as the kind of situation in which he nds himself that determines how he will act.' - Stanley Milgram, 1974.! The fragment leaves the group silent. There is sadness, confusion and an uncomfortable feeling when realising that a majority of people (65% in this experiment) will obey orders of "authority" to harm others (and even kill them) even if these orders contradict their own values. The group discusses 'responsibility'. Where was it? Apparently, people obeyed when they thought it was not their responsibility. This leads to the realisation that violence and good & bad is very much in all humans, we all have a black side too. There is no such thing as black or white and good versus bad. When we realise this fully, we can take responsibility at all times and work with all that is within us. !

! - The opposite of Mindless is Mindfulness -! !

...So, we brought some COURAGE in to the room! We shared stories of courage of ourselves and of loved ones...stories of courageous acts in war time, small acts, big acts, to comfort others, to safe others, to serve...!

Practices!
Act with courage in the face of authority, pressure to conform or self-interest.! Risk displeasure or personal disadvantage to do what you believe to be best for all. ! When acting powerfully, clarify what your intentions are and whose agenda it is.! Use your power with calmness and dignity when stressed or pressured.! Seek opportunities to involve others, sharing decision-making and learning

Leadership is the exercise of power; formal and informal, institutional and personal. How you exercise power directly impacts the organisation and the people in it. Using power positively and courageously does more than deliver results -it builds long term commitment and trust.!

Some insights of participants...!

...' the courage to accept vulnerability, fear, sadness'...'behind intention is practice'(of action inquiry, mindfulness, taking good care of yourself')...' Appreciating better the value of my values'...'Our courage is a gift to the world'...'Courage is dealing with the shadow and light'...'the courage to act from love and joy'...'Power with others is about responsibility and care'...' Clear "yes" and clean "no"'...'Courage is slow and deliberate'!

! ! ! Day 3: Passionate Detachment! ! - Passion can express itself in so many forms: compassion, anger, stress -! !

Leaders need to be passionate.! They also need to be able to stand back and detach themselves from their endeavours.! Leaders lose the hearts and minds of followers if it is "all about me" and forcing compliance to "my truth and my way".! The balancing act between passion and detachment in order to no being "consumed" ! ! We are all asked to draw or paint our passion. Some beautiful and powerful drawings decorate the walls!! We are confronted with the deepness of our passion. Here, we are not discussing 'what I am passionate about', but 'what is the nature and source of my passion?' !

! So what is it? ! ! -

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It is strong and soft! It is coming from a warm and well-intentioned source! In can come out in uncontrolled ways! It can be misunderstood by others (as scary, aggressive, bossy, intense)! Its effect can be very good, but also very destructive! It is powerful! There is a strong relationship between my passion and sadness!

As humans and especially as leaders we need to be connected to the source of our passion. Because when there isn't passion and when you are drawn into activities that you are not passionate about, and you cannot draw from your source, this leads to exhaustion, desperation and depression. ! On the other hand, passion can also draw you into over-commitment, over-attachment with the same risk of burn-out. We noticed how especially in the NGO world after over-commitment and over-attachment and burn-out, cynicism hits in. Take it seriously!! Some insights from the group:! ...'Don't be a hostage of your passion'...'Let reality dance with your passion'...'Passionate detachment is as important as living my passion; it nurtures my passion'...'Nothing makes me passionate, I AM passionate'...'Though my passion my express itself as a powerful lightning, the source is a soft, warm and gentle place'...'Cynicism as imploded passion?'...'Passion linked to sadness and moving on from sadness'...!

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How to support passion and draw from its source, and at the same time guard enough distance as to not let it harm you? !

! ! Practices! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Day 4: Dancing Between Vision and Detail! ! As individuals we have 4 territories of experiences:! ! 1) Vision = intentionality: purpose, attention, aims, goals! ! 2) Strategy = planning: strategies, plans, tactics, ploys, schemes, methods! ! 3) Actions = behaviour, engagement, implementation, doing, skills ! ! 4) Outcomes = results: consequences, effects, products and side-products! ! !

Develop acute and continuous awareness of your own motivational states - if you feel bored, cynical or disillusioned experiment with changing something! When you feel passion for something - follow it! Put your commitment into what inspires you.! Take your time - do not hurry actions or decisions - particularly when you feel pressure or elation! Practice calmness: breath and centre yourself

There are constant movements between the different territories. As leaders move into mature stages of leadership, they become more uid between the levels. ! Leaders who move between vision and details keep a clear sense of direction and strategy -and and ability to understand and inuence the micro-dynamics of the system. They provide vision and direction- and they engage in detailed action. They are able to move uidly between the levels of vision, strategy, actions and actual outcomes. !

Practices! Develop your ability to move uidly between vision, strategy, action and outcomes -noticing the relationship between these.! Create (often with others) visions and directions for your part of the organisation - make this visible and shared.! Sometimes dive joyfully into the detail, but don't stay there.! Consciously choose when and where to act rather then being led by expectation.

Mastery = uidity in holding the whole picture and seeing the details. It is important to set clear intentions and keep these in mind. Also, be always aware which level your are working at. !

! What other Practices can we think of to cultivate our capabilities as Transformational Leaders?! ! !
Meditation, mindfulness, gardening, retreats, inquiry & explorations with others, contemplation, journaling & free writing, dancing, walking, art, martial arts, cooking, action-experiments. !

Some last insights from the group:!

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...'Resilience is taking one step back to take two steps forward'...'We make things complicated that can be simple if we let them be'...'We create so many rules that are not actually there'...'We have to move beyond the sense of 'self' (our ego)'...' I am going to practice "doorknob meditation"mindfulness in the small moments, being aware'...! With some sadness and lots of gratefulness we close the leadership track by thanking each other and the facilitators. What an amazing connections, conversations and learnings did we have!!

- What would a tribe of practice be like - a dojo? !

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