{"id":39622,"date":"2024-11-21T20:39:34","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T04:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=39622"},"modified":"2024-11-21T20:39:34","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T04:39:34","slug":"finding-my-way-in-leading-my-organization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/finding-my-way-in-leading-my-organization\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding my way in leading my organization"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWarriors for the Human Spirit are awake human beings who have chosen not to flee. They abide.\u201d1 <\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

The above quote is taken from Margaret J. Wheatley\u2019s website and is a perfect segway to the rest of this blog.<\/p>\n

Warriors<\/strong><\/p>\n

A warrior is known as a fighter, a winner, someone who perseveres until the battle\/goal is accomplished. Ironically, good, visionary, moral people are known as warriors. When the bad person wins, we tend not to refer to them as a warrior.<\/p>\n

Human Spirit<\/strong><\/p>\n

Warriors care about people, their people, society, and country. They do something about injustice and help the human spirit move forward.<\/p>\n

Awake<\/strong><\/p>\n

Warriors tend to be self-aware. They know what is happening inside themselves and their culture, society, and world. They are not asleep to the problems and know how to address the issues creatively.<\/p>\n

Chosen Not To Flee<\/strong><\/p>\n

They don\u2019t turn their back on people, churches, organizations, or society. Ephesians 6:1-10 refers to the armor of God, but there is no armor for the back of the soldier.<\/p>\n

They Abide<\/strong><\/p>\n

They work hard to build resilient relationships and seek to work with people instead of over them.<\/p>\n

The quote above actually fits in well with both of Margaret J. Wheatley\u2019s books, Finding Our Way <\/em>and Leadership and the New Science.<\/em> In Leadership and the New Science, Margaret Wheatley beautifully illustrates how the insights from new science profoundly reshape our understanding of the world, offering us vital lessons on how to live and work harmoniously, especially in these uncertain times.<\/p>\n

We find ourselves in an era filled with political, organizational, racial, and economic chaos yet brimming with potential for new possibilities. New warriors<\/strong> are emerging, and with it, we are called to embrace new ideas, perspectives, and relationships that can guide us through. The revelations of new science\u2014encompassing discoveries in biology, chaos theory, and quantum physics\u2014invite us to see the world in a transformative light. Quantum physics? Are you kidding me? Quantum physics and leadership? I would have never put these two together, but I am so glad Dr. Wheatley\u2019s intelligence is off the charts! She also reveals that chaos is a natural part of our experience and that order often unfolds effortlessly. Through these insights, we see the beautiful interconnectedness that binds us, reassuring us that while life may initially seem messy, it inherently seeks to find harmony and order. I must say, this wonderful lady warrior <\/strong>is amazingly brilliant. I vote for her brain to be dedicated to science when she passes away. In fact, if she passes away before me, I wouldn\u2019t mind having her brain. She emphasizes in her book the importance of connecting with the human spirit. <\/strong>\u201cWe need fewer descriptions of tasks and instead learn how to facilitate the process. We need to become savvy about how to foster relationships.\u201d2 <\/sup>because \u201cnothing exists independent of its relationship with something else.\u201d3 <\/sup>A leader who knows this is awake. <\/strong><\/p>\n

When I think about this book, I am reminded that I deeply enjoy developing and loving my therapists. Last week I was meeting with a therapist that I will soon promote to Equine Therapist Director. She recommended that one of our interns start leading a therapy group for those who struggle with depression in January 2025. I was already thinking this intern lead a therapy group in the spring. But she convinced me he was ready, and deep down inside, I thought, \u201cTodd, why didn\u2019t you suggest or even see he was ready now? Calm down, compliment her on seeing his skills, and keep learning from her.\u201d It was another encouraging and connecting moment with a therapist. It reminded me of Wheatley\u2019s words, \u201cInnovation is fostered by information gathered from new connections from insights gained by journeys into other disciplines.\u201d3 <\/sup><\/p>\n

In Wheatley\u2019s Finding Our Way,<\/em> she reflects on her experience working with an incredibly diverse range of clients, from Fortune 100 CEOs to ministers. She compassionately acknowledges the shared challenges they face in striving to uphold integrity, humanity, and effectiveness amid the relentless pace and demands of a technology-driven world. Wheatley\u2019s book reminded me of the book, Humble Leadership. In it the author\u2019s write, \u201cwe need a new approach to leadership based more on personal relationships than transactional role relationships.\u201d4 <\/sup>This type of warrior<\/strong> mindset cares about thehuman spirit<\/strong> because it is awake <\/strong>and therefore chooses not to flee<\/strong> but abides<\/strong> in the tough times of making progress. Finding Our Way<\/em> offers a heartfelt approach to guiding individuals, groups, organizations, and communities towards a simpler and more harmonious way of living. By drawing on the principles of living systems theory, it emphasizes the importance of self-organization and supports us in nurturing a more compassionate and connected existence together.<\/p>\n

I share this because reading both of her books has profoundly touched me. Their insights have inspired me to take a fresh look at my counseling center, which has been operating for three years. With the support of my Board of Directors and our dedicated therapists, I\u2019m eager to foster a more collaborative atmosphere rather than adhere to a traditional hierarchal structure. While our organizational chart might reflect a conventional approach, the truth is that we\u2019ve been working together in a collaborative spirit all along. Unfortunately, some members of the Board may not fully recognize this dynamic. I believe it’s time for us to intentionally embrace and articulate this shift toward collaboration. Wheatley writes, \u201cThere is a clear correlation between participation and productivity; in fact, productivity gains in truly self-managed work environments are at minimum 35 percent higher than in traditionally managed organizations.\u201d5 <\/sup>In referring to being more collaborative, Wheatley continues, \u201cleaders consistently have chosen power rather than productivity. They would rather be in control than have the organization work at optimal efficiency.\u201d6 <\/sup><\/p>\n

Reflecting on everything that has happened, I truly feel that this journey of change began months ago as I immersed myself in countless books for this class. Now, I find myself ready to embrace the challenging but rewarding work ahead\u2014connecting with inspiring leaders, engaging in heartfelt conversations with my Board and therapists, and exploring how we can gently and thoughtfully navigate this important transformation. This is warrior <\/strong>work, nurturing the human spirit,<\/strong>and I approach this task with patience, prayer, and a hopeful heart.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. https:\/\/margaretwheatley.com<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Margaret Wheatley. Leadership and the New Science. 39.<\/li>\n
  3. Ibid. 113.<\/li>\n
  4. Edgar Schein and Peter Schein. Humble Leadership. 1.<\/li>\n
  5. Margaret Wheatley. Finding Our Way. 65.<\/li>\n
  6. Ibid. 65.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    \u201cWarriors for the Human Spirit are awake human beings who have chosen not to flee. They abide.\u201d1 The above quote is taken from Margaret J. Wheatley\u2019s website and is a perfect segway to the rest of this blog. Warriors A warrior is known as a fighter, a winner, someone who perseveres until the battle\/goal is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2310],"tags":[3375],"class_list":["post-39622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-doctor-of-leadership-3","tag-wheatley-dlgp02","cohort-dlgp02"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/176"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39622"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39623,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39622\/revisions\/39623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}