Noetic leadership is a visionary concept with ancient roots. When Claire Lachance, CEO of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), first brought it to my attention, I felt an immediate sense of its significance and a personal Yes! Check out the webinar we did as part of IONS Noetic Global Gatherings, and read my blog post on my meeting with Edgar Mitchell and the meaning of the Greek word nous. See the recording of the webinar here: https://tinyurl.com/ybnz6sep
A Chance Encounter With Edgar Mitchell
In 2000, a group of us were working on the Fetzer Institute sponsored Collective Wisdom Initiative and staying, by invitation, at the Institute of Noetic Sciences’ new campus in Petaluma, California. It had not officially opened yet, and we were there when the Institute’s board of directors was also meeting—including its founder, Edgar Mitchell. In the evening, Mitchell wandered over to the dormitory where we were staying, curious about what we were up to. We in turn were interested in him and specifically how his going to the moon influenced his decision to begin the Institute.
Without being overly dramatic, this experience had for me elements of mythic time, meaning that the chronological time we spent together had little relationship to the impact of our encounter.
One of the fundamental questions for those who believe in listening, respect, and tolerance is what to do with people who appear to us as dominating, certain of their positions, and intolerant of those who disagree with them.
Tea and Intolerance is a five-part series exploring the political emergence of a Tea Party, and what that represents in the larger social and political collective.
Note from the authors: We, Alan Briskin and Kathia Laszlo, have been in deep exploration on Unfolding Wisdom as part of the design process for an upcoming retreat on this topic. The retreat is meant for leaders, facilitators, consultants and change agents who are curious about the tension between intuitive knowing and its practical application in organizations and society.
Our rich conversation has become fertile ground for our future time together. The following post will give you a glimpse into our dialogue. We invite you to participate in it by sharing your own feelings and thoughts as comments. We begin with some initial reflections from Kathia, followed by a response by Alan.
Third annual conference September 3–7, 2018
Beuerhof Farm, Vulkan Eifel, Germany
We are all at once both a composition and a composer. We have the ability not only to compose the future of our own lives, but to help compose the future of everyone around us and the communities in which we live.
~ Maya Angelou
With colleagues Gisela Wendling, David Sibbet, and Holger Scholz, we are excited to announce the third annual gathering of our Leading as Sacred Practice conference. We will be returning again to the extraordinary land at the Beuerhof Farm, Vulkan Eifel, Germany. In 2017, we had an equally extraordinary gathering at the Institute of Noetic Sciences in Petaluma, Calif.
As with my previous works, The Stirring of Soul in the Workplace and The Power of Collective Wisdom, I am interested in bringing to the forefront a network of leaders and organizational practitioners who have the spiritual conviction, psychological sophistication, and behavioral skills to create positive change. A sense of humor, playfulness, and stubborn persistence to do good will also come in handy. Perfection is not necessary or sought. We are not coming with answers but with a faith in the co-creative process.
On May 12, 2017, the Goi Peace Foundation convened a symposium at United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan. The theme, “Co-creating a World in Harmony and Balance” , was an expression of the Fuji Declaration and Soul of WoMen Initiative begun two years earlier.
I have worked with the Goi Peace Foundation for many years and was witness to the development of both the Declaration and Initiative. This symposium brought together thirty-five global leaders to address five perplexing dualities we encounter within a framework of oneness.
We knew there could be no way these leaders would be able to present even a fraction of their work in the world. How could we design a day that held a spark of the greater intention we all felt was possible when too many speeches might deaden the energy of the room? How could we work with an emergent perspective rather than one that focused solely on content? Adding to the complexity, the seating and tables were largely fixed and the symposium sponsors felt strongly that everything spoken should be available to everyone (an audience of about 50 people were in the hall with us) so no breakout sessions were possible.
Please join me and my colleagues, David Sibbet, Gisela Wendling, and Holger Scholz for an extraordinary five days of learning, reflection, and collective discovery. During our time together we will investigate how ritual, ceremony, and the natural world are central to remembering and recreating the sacred in contemporary times.
Is the sacred purely a personal matter or a critical aspect of our group and collective evolution? Has the sacred become marginalized or ignored in the organizational world? Can the sacred be integrated into our work as facilitators, consultants, conveners, and leaders? What is the role of the sacred in our own lives?
Together, we will explore these questions and seek ways to integrate the sacred in our own lives and in our work with clients.
The conference will be held on the exquisite land of the Beuerhof in the middle of Vulkan Eifel, in Germany. This volcanic soil holds memory of ancient European roots but has also been deeply influenced by Lakota Native American practices. We expect the land itself to be a powerful participant.
We are constantly co-creating the collective fields by which we operate in. This conference represents a living laboratory and celebration of these ideas coming into global awareness.
I hope to see you there. Brochure and Registration:
