This morning I read an article about leadership that resonated so much with me!

What I notice is that the current structures in (larger) organizations make it difficult for people to really 'see' each other. And when we don't see each other we can't support each other or receive support. When things get stressful, people tend to blame and judge others or start to control. Exert power over others. Often without any knowledge of what is going on for the other person.
The result, separation, fear, the feeling of not being seen.

In this article Miki Kashtan defines leadership as

the willingness to take responsibility for and care for the whole in interdependent relationship with others, even when those others are not doing so themselves

And because this is a radical new way of leadership, there are a lot of unknowns, a lot of questions to be asked. For instance:

Power: how do we mobilize resources, including our own power as leaders, in true service to the whole, including those whose actions or opinions most frighten or upset us? How do we attend to the reality that so many people are conditioned to defer to anyone who steps into leadership, especially in the context of structural power differences?

Miki uses words like patriarchy and feminism. Although I know in which context they are used, I also know that these words can trigger people into thinking it is a men vs women thing. I struggle with these terms. Given that as human beings, regardless of being in a male or a female body, we all hold a mix of (ideally) the healthy aspects of masculine and femine energy. Patriarchy represents the unbalanced, unhealthy masculine energy. The pendulum is stretched too much to one side. Both men and women suffer from this system. And both men and women contribute to it, because we haven't learned any other way. It is the system we have been raised in. And it is no longer working.

I see the feminism that Miki talks about as a balancing movement. Towards a society that works for everyone. Leadership that works for everyone. A healthy balance between the masculine and the feminine principles. A coming together instead of separation.

The kind of leadership that she talks about is something we can evolve in to, if we choose. It will take a lot of growth and is not something we can achieve over night. It's encouraging though that there are more and more people paving the way. Not only Miki Kashtan but also Otto Sharmer for instance. I'm grateful for the way they are role models to me.

https://centerforpartnership.org/global-leaders/mikikashtan/

#leadership