The Future of Leadership, Part I
Creating Spaces for Connection & Engagement
May 9, 2022
Written by: Greta Seitz
Today we discussed the topic of leadership, what it means to be a leader through authentic engagement, and being in relationship with others and the world around us. Anyone can be a leader and we all are leaders in different ways, there is no one way to lead! I recently read the following quote,
“A community is like a ship, everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.”
- Henrik Ibsen
When we are in communion with others, we are able to lead and support one another in different ways. One comment in the chat revealed a truth that we often forget that leadership can be from the front, middle, or back. Going back to the nautical theme, another participant during the end of the conversation spoke of her time sailing with her husband and made a wonderful connection to leadership. When sailing, you must change course and adjust as the wind changes. Much like sailing, leadership is not a linear journey but often one that zig-zags and changes depending on the circumstances.
During the conversation, we had the pleasure of hearing from the Conversation Starters Craig Neal and Mary Elaine Kiener who gave insight into the future of leadership and how the Art of Convening Applied Leadership course as a design for future leadership capacities. Craig is founder of The Art of Convening trainings and programs and lead author, The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations. Mary Elaine and Craig are both skilled conveners who have decades of applied leadership experience. We also had the pleasure of hearing from colleagues Rachel Soffer and Yvette Trotman, two wonderful women who have been a part of the CPL communities for years. They spoke of their experience with the Art of Convening programs as support for how they continue to learn and grow on their ongoing leadership journeys.
In addition to hearing to hearing from the our wonderful speakers, the Wisdom Circles provided an opportunity for everyone to share their voices and harvest collective wisdom in groups. The first question for the breakout groups was
Given the exploration as a leader as anyone who wants to make a difference in these times through cultivating authentic relationships... Who are the people in your life where you are having authentic engagements or would like to?
As we returned to the large group to discuss the conversations that occurred in the small groups, people spoke of relationships with family, friends, work colleagues, how relationships have been affected by COVID or technology and more. Some recurring themes that emerged included active and intentional listening while in conversation, asking clarifying questions/ not making assumptions, trying to imagine the context of someone else’s experiences, and remembering relationships as the core of engagement by adopting a “not just me” mindset.
The second Wisdom Circle questions include,
Where are you on your leadership journey? Where and how would you like to make a difference?
Many individuals were quick to acknowledge they still felt like they were just beginning their leadership journeys even after years of reflection, learning, and growing. Similar to the sailing analogy of leadership as not being linear, one participant noted she often felt she found herself digging deeper before moving forward. For that reason she noted she was at the “start” but she had dug deep and discovered a lot along the way. Others spoke of an active choice every day to continue on their journey, the importance of movement in addition to thought work, how letting go of attitudes and beliefs about self opened up new paths, the importance of checking in with yourself and your values along the way, and supporting others on their journey as well.
If you too are looking to make the choice to become the authentic and engaged leader you have the potential to be, please considering joining us next week for part II of The Future of Leadership which will focus on Co-creating Spaces for Welcome, Safety & Belonging and we would love for you to be apart of the conversation. Remember, your voice + many voices = collective impact!
If you were not able to attend this Essential Conversation feel free to watch the recording at CPL Communities!
Want to attend future Essential Conversations or view upcoming events, check out the calendar to learn more!
