Emerging Insights, 3 December 2024
Let’s talk icebergs. Not the ones that sank the Titanic, but the kind that symbolise leadership—the part everyone sees above the surface and the much larger, hidden depths below. Now, ask yourself: what’s really going on beneath your leadership?”
Today’s message and podcast invite you to take a deep dive into the hidden depths of conscious leadership, guided by my article, ‘From Icebergs to Oceans: The Hidden Wisdom of Conscious Leadership’, as our trusty compass. Spoiler alert: it’s not just about “being the boss” and waving your finger at the sea of people below you. No, no—this conversation is all about going beyond the tip of the iceberg (you know, the part that everyone sees) and discovering the wisdom and creativity lurking below the surface.
Both this conversation and the article below encourage you to explore conscious leadership through the iceberg metaphor. This isn’t just about connecting authentically with your team; it’s about transforming your entire approach to leadership. By shifting your perspective, you can unlock a deeper understanding of complexity, creativity, and collaboration. Leadership becomes less about control and more about guiding with insight, fostering innovation, and embracing the unseen depths of collective wisdom to lead with clarity, empathy, and purpose.
So, grab your life vests, because we’re about to jump from rigid leadership models to a more fluid, adaptable, and collaborative way of leading. And, yes, we promise, no icebergs were harmed in the making of this podcast.
So, let’s get reflective:
- What’s hidden beneath the surface of your leadership?
Is your leadership style driven by ego and control, or is it shaped by wisdom and empathy? - How adaptable are you as a leader?
When the tides shift or challenges arise, do you go with the flow or are you stuck in the ice? - Are you empowering others to lead with you?
Are you creating space for diverse ideas and voices to surface, or is your leadership still holding on to outdated, rigid structure?
As we explore the iceberg metaphor and beyond, we’ll uncover how leaders can break free from the rigid, hierarchical models of the past and lead with more flexibility, empathy, and wisdom.
Here’s a sneak peek at what’s inside:
- The Iceberg Metaphor:Leadership is not just about managing surface-level issues but about tapping into the unseen depths of creativity, wisdom, and potential within ourselves and others.
- Thawing Old Patterns: Embracing adaptability and flexibility allows leaders to break free from rigid thinking and flow more effectively with challenges.
- Interconnectedness and Collaboration: Seeing ourselves as part of a larger ocean of shared wisdom shifts leadership from being hierarchical to collaborative and inclusive.
- Cutting Through Complexity: Achieving a higher vantage point enables leaders to navigate challenges with clarity, seeing beyond the immediate to make decisions aligned with long-term impact.
- Aligning with Purpose: Conscious leaders connect with a clear sense of purpose, providing direction and grounding during turbulent times.
- Ripple Effects: Understand how accessing your own “ocean” of wisdom not only transforms your leadership but also contributes to raising the collective consciousness in your teams, organisations, and society.
Tune in and discover how recalibrating your consciousness compass can transform not only how we lead but also how we live, empowering us to unlock the genius within every “iceberg” in our teams and communities.
Listen to the conversation below:
From Icebergs to Oceans: The Hidden Wisdom of Conscious Leadership
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” Rumi
Picture this: you’re an iceberg. Not just the cold, solid chunk of ice floating on the surface of the ocean, but a unique expression of something much bigger—an infinite, flowing body of water. The iceberg you see above the surface? That’s your world of thoughts, actions, and achievements. It’s what everyone else sees too. But here’s the twist: the real magic isn’t in the iceberg itself. It’s in the water that created it.
In leadership, as in life, many of us fixate on the iceberg. We analyse its structure, try to reshape it, and scramble to patch its cracks. But what if the answers we seek—the clarity to navigate complexity, the inspiration to lead others, and the resilience to thrive—aren’t in the iceberg at all? What if they’re in the unseen depths of the ocean below?
This is not a lesson in problem-solving or a blueprint for better management. It’s an invitation to shift your perspective—to see beyond the surface and reconnect with the deeper, universal source of insight and creativity that powers everything. The Iceberg Metaphor isn’t just a concept; it’s a new vantage point. A reminder that what we perceive as challenges are often symptoms of our own rigid thinking. And that by reconnecting with the fluid, adaptable intelligence beneath, we can reshape not only our leadership but also the lives of those we touch.
So, take a breath. Step back. And let’s dive into a lighter, brighter way of looking at the world—one that’s as playful as it is profound.
The Iceberg Metaphor
This metaphor, from Chapter 9 of my book VANTAGE POINT, builds on earlier explorations of the iceberg’s existence—how it forms, where it lives, and what it’s made of. Icebergs arise from and return to the sea, their essence inseparable from the water that sustains them.
Read it as best as you can, with an open mind and without judgment, allowing it to land exactly as it does. As you continue with your life and work, and the challenges that come with them, take note of what arises. Observe what you experience in your interactions with those challenges, as well as the conversations you have with yourself and with others.
What you uncover in this metaphor, its essence and implications, will reveal itself in your thinking and experiences of life. The deeper your insights and understanding, the more transformative, influential, and impactful your perspective will become.
As a metaphor, …
“Imagine that each of us, you and I are icebergs. We arise from and are made of the same water, with the same qualities and properties. As such we are tentacles, an extension of the very same substance. Our purpose is to be an outpost for the water. To continue to explore, learn, and grow. And to use our creativity to sculpt into shape what we see and learn.
This water we come from is the source of universal wisdom. It is filled with innate health, well-being, kindness, compassion, and humility.
Although we share this source, when we transitioned into solid form at birth, we forgot our origins and arrived with a blank canvas.
We thought we were separate, disconnected entities, left to fight for ourselves on the high seas of life, dependent on the best thinking we could come up with.
The problem was that we always kept looking on the outside for answers. Seeing other icebergs doing their stuff and just copying what they did. And seeing our reflection in the water and thinking that we are a solid and rigid thing drifting along at the mercy of the sea.
Then, one day, by a stroke of luck, we looked inward and had a realisation: what we had believed to be true was merely an illusion. We discovered that we are, in fact, made from the very water we are floating in. And that through this water we are inherently connected.
As we woke to this understanding, we also came to realise, the wisdom that the water carried and that we had access to.
We no longer thought of ourselves as solid and rigid entities. The only thing that kept us in that place was the rigidity of our rational thinking.
The more we saw this wisdom within us, the more insightful we became and the more our thinking transformed into being flexible and fluid.
We could thaw back into the sea as water or turn ourselves into steam and reshape our appearance as needed with ease from there.
Connecting with others became second nature as after all, we were principally the same.
As we now walked the Path of the Soul, we could see right through the ‘bullsh*t’ that we created based on the misunderstandings we had about life.
As more of us became awake to our true nature, it raised our community’s level of consciousness from which we saw the flaws in our gloriously fallible humanness and the problems we created.
From a higher vantage point and guided by our innate wisdom, the ‘bullsh*t’ problems we had were no more. As we could see, with the power of many fresh eyes the true nature of how life and the world worked.
Problems we still had but those were genuine and not produced by the stupidity of disconnected and immature thinking. They provided the opportunity to grow and to use our innate creativity to do things better.
We saw the genius in all icebergs, even the ones that didn’t know it yet. And we held the space for each other to bring out our best and in our own time.
Although we had free will, we knew to use it wisely. Aligned with the ecology of our higher-level order, it induced diversity of thought and creativity into our lives and communities.
And it challenged and stretched our sense of reality, as a complex system thrives and expands on the balance of chaos and order.
No longer did we have to fight or force our thinking, but effortlessly we paved our way in harmony with the rhythm of complexity. Co-existing in harmony with the elements and each other.
Let’s face it, being an iceberg is great. We never go under. We are always in the buoyancy of that which gives us life, which makes us possible to exist, the formless water. And it keeps us afloat, even in the roughest of weather.”
The Iceberg Metaphor challenges us to rethink leadership in a complex world. It’s not about hacking away at the surface or endlessly tinkering with what’s already been created. It’s about looking at the source—the vast ocean of wisdom and potential that lies beneath.
When we shift our focus from the visible (our immediate problems, external pressures, and rigid thinking) to the invisible (the deeper connection we share with a universal intelligence), something remarkable happens. Problems that once felt immovable start to thaw. Clarity replaces confusion. And instead of feeling like you’re drifting aimlessly on choppy seas, you rediscover the buoyancy that’s been keeping you afloat all along.
Here’s the playful paradox: You’re not just the iceberg. You’re the ocean, too. As a leader, your power comes from recognizing this truth—not just for yourself but for those around you. By connecting to the source, you create space for fresh thinking, authentic collaboration, and real transformation.
So, the next time you’re stuck in the grind, ask yourself: Am I obsessing over the iceberg? Or am I tapping into the limitless ocean that makes it possible? The answers you’re looking for might just be waiting in the depths—ready to rise, reshape, and inspire.
Leadership isn’t about staying rigid in the cold. It’s about melting, adapting, and flowing with the rhythm of complexity. And that? That’s the secret to thriving in a world that’s anything but simple.
Ready to dive beneath the surface and explore the boundless ocean of conscious leadership?
Send a message by clicking here with Let’s Dive, and let’s embark on this transformative journey together. We’ll uncover the hidden wisdom within, helping you reshape your leadership, elevate your perspective, and inspire those around you.
Until then, stay curious, stay buoyant, and let the rhythm of the ocean guide your way. 🌊
With gratitude,
Mike
P.S. Ready to steer your leadership journey with higher consciousness and deeper wisdom? 🌟
In VANTAGE POINT, we dive into how true leadership isn’t about controlling the chaos but aligning with it—much like nature itself, where self-organizing systems thrive by tapping into deeper intelligence. This isn’t about just managing the “what” and “how” of leadership but transforming your perspective to lead from your “why.”
Discover how to shift from rigid strategies to adaptive leadership that flows with the complexities of today’s world.
Grab your copy today and discover how to navigate complexity with heart, awareness, and a new vision for leadership! 🚀
Your next voyage awaits!
“Mike Schwarzer’s book, ‘VANTAGE POINT: cutting through the bullsh*t of a complex world,’ serves as both the torch and compass that illuminate the way and guide us as we step into uncharted territory, embark on new explorations, and pioneer innovative paths.
”Gabriella Sprott, Director & Co-Founder @ ShowMe Exchange, Australia
VANTAGE POINT’s essence lies in preparing leaders for the unfolding challenges and future developments, not just in the realm of AI, but also in all the contributing factors that shape our complex world. It’s about elevating human consciousness, transcending the limitations of our ego-minds, and giving us hope to make our world a better place.
🚀 Elevate Your Leadership: Get VANTAGE POINT!
Grab your “VANTAGE POINT” from the digital shelves. Seize the opportunity to gain access to insights that will transform your approach to leadership.
To delve deeper and secure your copy, click here!
About Mike Schwarzer
Mike is a Transformation Facilitator and Learning Leader who is passionate about helping leaders and organisations to solve the problems that they have not been able to solve elsewhere.
He works with the underlying mental, behavioural and deeper innate dynamics that drive people’s and organisations’ thinking and actions. He creates and holds the space where they learn how to tap into their inner and outer capabilities in transformational ways and lift their perceptual abilities to see their world, its problems and emerging solutions with fresh eyes.
At the organisational level, Mike’s approach challenges the status quo and hierarchical thinking. He takes you into the world of living ‘open & adaptive’ systems and their self-organising nature. From there you will be able to create a workplace culture that naturally draws from the collective wisdom of all its people and that is highly adaptable to the changing winds of a complex world.
For more information about Mike visit www.mikeschwarzer.com.
