 These days, our senses are bombarded with aggression. We are constantly confronted with global images of unending, escalating war and violence. |
| In the past, it was easier to believe in my own effectiveness. If I worked hard, with good colleagues and good ideas, we could make a difference. But now, I sincerely doubt that. |
| I believe that the capacity that any organisation needs is for leadership to appear anywhere it is needed, when it is needed. |
| And time for reflection with colleagues is for me a lifesaver; it is not just a nice thing to do if you have the time. It is the only way you can survive. |
| Our willingness to acknowledge that we only see half the picture creates the conditions that make us more attractive to others. The more sincerely we acknowledge our need for their different insights and perspectives, the more they will be magnetized to join us. |
| Successful organizations, including the Military, have learned that the higher the risk, the more necessary it is to engage everyone's commitment and intelligence. |
| We do as much harm holding onto programs and people past their natural life span as we do when we employ massive organizational air strikes. However, destroying comes at the end of life's cycle, not as a first response. |
| I've wanted to see beyond the Western, mechanical view of the world and see what else might appear when the lens was changed. |
| Everyone in a complex system has a slightly different interpretation. The more interpretations we gather, the easier it becomes to gain a sense of the whole. |
| Aggression is the most common behavior used by many organizations, a nearly invisible medium that influences all decisions and actions. |
| In these troubled, uncertain times, we don't need more command and control; we need better means to engage everyone's intelligence in solving challenges and crises as they arise. |
| Organisations are now confronted with two sources of change: the traditional type that is initiated and managed; and external changes over which no one has control. |
| In virtually every organization, regardless of mission and function, people are frustrated by problems that seem unsolvable. |
| Destroying is a necessary function in life. Everything has its season, and all things eventually lose their effectiveness and die. |
| Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful. |
| In this present culture, we need to find the means to work and live together with less aggression if we are to resolve the serious problems that afflict and impede us. |
| The nature of the global business environment guarantees that no matter how hard we work to create a stable and healthy organisation, our organisation will continue to experience dramatic changes far beyond our control. |
| Yet we act as if simple cause and effect is at work. We push to find the one simple reason things have gone wrong. We look for the one action, or the one person, that created this mess. As soon as we find someone to blame, we act as if we've solved the problem. |
| I think it is quite dangerous for an organisation to think they can predict where they are going to need leadership. It needs to be something that people are willing to assume if it feels relevant, given the context of any situation. |
| In our daily life, we encounter people who are angry, deceitful, intent only on satisfying their own needs. There is so much anger, distrust, greed, and pettiness that we are losing our capacity to work well together. |
