If you lived in the Middle Ages, as a simple person, leadership was more than anything about survival: finding food, finding a way to protect your family, and staying alive for another day. It is true even now in the third decade of the 21st century, in many places around the world, these are still central elements to leading a life.
But in this conversation we’re exploring how the world has become so much more complex; so many facets and additional dimensions to navigating life and its intricacies and complexities.
We are beginning to sense and explore leadership in a whole different way, where the premise begins with leadership from the inside, leading oneself. If I'm effective in leading myself, I may have a better facility in offering that service and assistance to
others. Through that connection to others, to a community or to a collective, we also begin to see the power of learning in unlocking the collective wisdom.
What differentiates teams as to why they are able to escape collective stupidity and truly unlock collective wisdom? The answer involves lifting this word we use so much from a pedestrian level to a profound level, and the word is ‘learning.’ What I observed was that these teams became more interested in learning and developing and improving each other, as a collective, rather than playing to their egos - and so they learned to play to each other's strengths.
Jane Goodman
From the time of childhood I've been driven to understand how the human was meant to be.
This has guided me in knowing how to interact in this world. The inroads I continue to explore are through the sciences of behaviors and ways of giving service to others, which build filaments of qualities that nourish the tree of humanity rooted in the purpose of life.
Some of the branches that have been nurtured are community, leadership and meaningful communication.
Perry Martin
The theme of being a representative of the hopes and dreams of those lives whom have gone before became a constant companion to me, as it became clear that I may be unique in all the world, but never would my life be alone. We are dependent on each other as a humanity
This taught me a very deep lesson: a human's life is not to be lived for only one purpose, but can fulfill many purposes. And ever-refining new purpose can reveal itself - if one is open. We, after all, are a multi-faceted assembly of many lives.
Liz Halter
I have always loved being outdoors in nature, in gardens, feeling the wonder looking up at the stars. This came hand in hand with a close affinity to the Native Americans and their respect and honor for the planet and nature, the elements and the seasons.
Another level of this passion has been a lifelong quest to find the way of the natural human. I found that there is a tendency to want to go back to the earth, or to the ways of the ancients. While there is certainly wisdom to be carried forward, it isn’t really possible to go back, and it isn’t really the answer.
We need new ways for new times and I believe we as humans are equipped to discover the ways that will allow us to live authentically, in harmony, with purpose and hope in today’s world.
Aviv Shahar
Aviv is the Founder of Aviv Consulting, helping leaders unleash strategic innovation, and is the author of Create New Futures: How Leaders Produce Breakthroughs and Transform the World Through Conversation.
