Closing Process

Sunday, May 17, 2009

CLOSING SESSION INDEX CARD ACTIVITY

Using [Thirty-five], we explored the question:

What clarity did you gain regarding leadership in a self-organizing world?

In the statements below, the number in "( )" is the point total received.

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One never knows the power of an idea/vision until shared with others who have similar passions. (27)

We are the ones we've been waiting for. "Leaders" are not self ordained. They are recognized by their contributions and response to a calling from deep within to commit their life to contributing to the greater good. (26)

Clarity I now have: *So many labels! * To participate in a Self Organizing World means truly owning up to allowing each person (including myself) freedom to express their passions about the subject * to be fully present and mindful within myself and within the group. (26)

Be yourself. (25)

In a Self Organizing World: I bring my whole self my dream passion each moment presence, and allow others the same grace. (24)

Provides a space where each person can speak her/his truth and offer his/her gifts. (23.5)

Leadership in a self-organizing world - means…We all lead and we know when it is our time to lead by listening to our body and spirit - when it calls out our gift. (22)

Creating contexts that help life-energy find itself, manifest, serve itself, and evolve - at all levels including self, group, community, social system, and planet - with decreasing violence, toxicity, and waste. (22)

You must be a vital self-organizing system in order to lead, serve, and host the ever unfurling nature of a self-organizing world. In this breathing, beating, crumbling, and constellating living world - we love and lead into dynamic tension of living and dying - sending and receiving - leading from in front or behind. True leadership is authentically living expressing just that. (21)

The power of connection to nature remaining in its stillness so that all that needs to show up shows up, with flow of a river. (21)

Open Space is a way that nature organizes itself. I also see that the container is the "how" of the system. It would take longer time periods to deal with certain grievances at a more root level than others. Truly what is needed for humanity currently is "root" responses to personal and collective trauma. (21)

My insight: Hierarchies arise, serve, disolve, reorganize. Leaders can relax and allow their role to present itself - be free of the burden of the acknowledged leader role. It takes an integrated "anima" to be a effective leader in a self-organizing world. (21)

LSOW is allowing and nurturing passion. (21)

Convene in curiosity to remember and create together choices. Trust first next steps. (21)

Carry the dream of helping people. Do better. My primary task is to be a/the dream carrier - holding the space/dream. (21)

The super importance of having clear intention, purpose, and context around what you are self-organizing. (20)

People want to serve. When we serve from our passion recognizing the wisdom of the group we are unstoppable. The innovative, integrated-in-communities, successful models are already here. They can be expanded through our service. (20)

Leadership begins with self. Leading yourself and applying the Law of Two Feet, taking responsibility for your passions. Allowing the space for leadership in self and others to show up when and where it needs to. (20)

Each of us "leads" in a self-organizing world by being fully who we uniquely, authentically are as a constantly emerging presence. (20)

May we move effortlessly from the rippling well of our heart. Equity = sustainability. The river teaches leadership best - always released, changing, flowing. (19.5)

May we begin with listening…to the stories of the indigenous wisdom keepers…to the least of these who have survived oppressions and the fear of others…to the children. (19.5)

LSOW is a force of nature and is a manifestation of life energy irrepressible - but works best when conditions are right and no one is trying to suppress it. (19.5)

Just like individuals, groups have a life purpose. And there are leadership roles a group needs to fulfill its purpose. If you recognize what's coming up in you and step into the circle at the "right" time to take responsibility for what YOU care about, you ARE a leader for the group in that moment. (19)

It ebbs and flows in eddies and stillness - arising - emerging. Falling away to flow. Arising upstream and down. Constant flow. Always changing. Each moment unique. Mysterious and magical. Always, ever present possibility. (19)

Key capacity or leadership is to be curious and celebrate when difference arises. (Knowing how to be in intercultural dialog) what wants to happen in service to the whole? (18.5)

I need to create more space for passionate people to be present, for others to leave AND for them to return when ready - or not. (18.5)

Leadership emerges from the space into which passion is expressed. (18)

Talk out the paradoxes. What is beyond? (18)

Self-organizing leaders are "wave riders" masterfully and artfully sensing the "field" and acting from the multiple sensibilities/knowing/seeing that emerges/is…. Then letting that go and cycling back to the "field" again and again - cycling around/back. (18)

LSOW is about following the signals (internal and /or external), taking action aligned with my dreams, even if I can't fully, clearly articulate the dream. It creates the intention and opens the space. (18)

Life (this moment) is living and breathing self organization. Humans have the capacity to listen, be present with, and be moved forward by this creative life force. (17)

Leaders are: * safe container * holding the complexity and avoiding premature foreclosure * Love as above, below, behind, before all * See all the way through * Able to face into death (of ego, of self-importance) * Know how to guide people to receive gifts of the shadow. (17)

Everyone creates their own experience. Everyone is having a different experience. Leaders don't have to /can't "fix" people's experiences, but they do have to respect the variety of experiences while channeling action intentionally. (17)

True to heart, active honesty. Be present, participate as a response arises, share/offer it, for it was need to further the interaction and create more opening… (16)

"Formal (arrow in both directions) Emergent Informal" (all surrounded by a permeable circle that is labeled "container (arrow in both directions) Open Space" (16)

You can't push the river. Before we can "move on" to evolve co-intelligently…we must open space for us to be with our collective pain/grief/sacrifice, male/female "dominator culture," and celebrate with honor what was accomplished and the positive intentions… without judgment... Then we can release to transform. (15.5)

Succession planting is very important and challenging. (15)

Everyone has capacity to be a leader. Bringing out the above is the job of a self-organizing leader. (15)

An understanding of underlying issues. (15)

There are many ways to listen; keeping ourselves open to hear the voice of the spirit at all times. Find ways to inspire with our stories and creativity. Lead and encourage with participatory action. (14)

Open more space. (14)

Leadership in a SOW is a responsibility of each and every one and it is the responsibility of everyone (alone and together) to help it show up. It is a never-ending learning process. In a gathering (circle) everyone may have to take up a role that is needed at a particular moment. Awareness and clarity is needed for all, about what these various roles are. For instance, witness, speaking up about disturbance, etc. (14)

Clarity of the phases of grieving applied to leadership of an entity/opportunity. (14)

Pay attention to the shadow parts - those kept underground - as they emerge in angry outbursts, hurt feelings, anxieties. Embrace these and welcome their expression - full-out - in safe containers. (13)

Love is. (13)

Have conversations intended to enable individual and collective self-evolution and capacity for self-organization. (13)

Stop and pay attention to how I/others are feeling. If not sure, ask. (12.5)

Leadership in a self-organizing world is parallel to the co-creative relationship between the conscious self and the larger consciousness called spirit. (12)

Often leadership is thought of as not of the group, but like the same delusion of "I versus We" (I is held up by the we). Leadership is inside the grouping (part of) the self-organizing world. (11)

"Doing less" is often the most helpful attitude. (10.5)

Warning! Using the metaphors of biology, nature, physics, organisms, etc. sheds some light on what happens in human communication and organization. But these metaphors may blind us to the specifically cultural and linguistic aspects of human action. (10)

This is a huge shift about what leadership seems to be all about. We need to understand more about rituals and the social life of organizations. Need to understand how to reverse negative ? Leadership has to become more intune with the natural rhythm of our organizations. Need to pay more attention to life In between space. (8)

Leadership is local. It happens when it happens and it's self-selected. (8)

Transition B/T Veteran (senior) organizer to "hopefully" Elder status. "One generation cometh and another passeth away, but the Earth abideth forever." (6)

The question with gravity is the organizing principle. The presence of identity depends on gravity. The fluid we are is water. The structure of consciousness quenches our thirst. When we take a drink, we forget it is us. (5)

God is a self organizing system. (5)