Finding the DNA of Transformation

Upon meeting an inspiring leader, I am always intrigued by how their personal history informs their ability to nurture the potential of others.  Such transformative power comes from a deep understanding of what it means to be human. 

Clarity for me was achieved early in my career. Thanks to a series of eye opening encounters with successful, powerful people who, finding themselves in unfamiliar territory, revealed the same vulnerability I felt so intensely.

I realized that vulnerability defines us all, because:

·We are born of trauma and struggle to heal; yet we expend a huge amount   of energy masking this fact

·We fear our loss of dignity, so we cling to conformity; yet we long to be recognized for our uniqueness

·We yearn to belong, to be celebrated for our individuality; yet we live in fear of being judged for the very qualities that set us apart

Therefore, I've come to realize that for those engaged in transforming communities, the first task is to embrace these vulnerabilities. Next is to free ourselves of the impulse to differentiate ourselves into 'boxes': mainstream/ marginalized, clever/stupid, educated/uneducated, successful/unsuccessful, rich/poor etc. Only then, can we embrace what fundamentally connects us and forge new ways of working together.

I demonstrated this point to some students recently: I asked them to introduce themselves by name and tell me one thing  that they liked about themselves. The anxiety was palpable as each scrambled to think of the most anodyne but safe thing to say about themselves. 

The point was taken: we are all in need of greater self-esteem and self-confidence to be ourselves. Inspiring leaders know this, most by intuition. 


Consequently, it leads me to ask:

·What if, through a deliberative dialogue, they were enabled to crystalize their understanding and how it informs the core values of their organization?

·What transformative power would it unleash - to spell out the DNA of their approach and share it with kindred spirits in Gen-Y?

A 'Shaping Leadership'

I have been thinking a lot about the idea of a 'shaping leadership' as the foundation for transforming communities. It seems to me that in any community, you will find inspiring individuals, doing astonishing work. However, they may be working in diverse fields and not be known to each other.

What if they were to come together, share their perspectives and arrive at a unified vision for their community?

What if they saw themselves as a hub for transformation, combining their networks to achieve agreed goals and devise new solutions to seemingly intractable problems?

What if these leaders were to engage in a process to understand what made them effective - beginning with their core values and working towards an understanding of the building blocks to their approach?

Armed with such clarity and an agreed approach to mentoring, what impact will these inspiring leaders have on the Gen-Y and the community they serve?

Of course, it will require courage, conviction and generosity of spirit to make it possible:

• Courage, to stand down as an 'expert' in order to participate in the task of genuine enquiry

• Conviction that success is possible and that individuals and communities can achieve great things

• Generosity of spirit towards everyone involved, providing a cornerstone for capacity building at all levels

So, how will we judge the success of a 'shaping leadership'...?

By their ability to develop a generation of new leaders who, when the "work is done, the people say, 'We did it ourselves!' "

Lao Tzu, Taoist Philosopher