Emerging Insights, 26 August 2020
“There is something awake in me that is asleep in most people and when they spent time with me, it wakes up in them. The more time they spent, the more awake that is. And sometimes, through Grace not Will, what is fully awake in me, awakens fully in them.” Zen Master
As always, point your attention behind what is being said. Read, as best as you can, with nothing on your mind and explore what I am about to say for yourself!
Extraordinary times need extraordinary leaders who can draw the best out of and from their people. We are more reliant than ever on the collective wisdom of our people, not just on a few decision makers. The world now needs more leaders, at all levels, that see people as human beings rather than business units. Leaders who understand and appreciate that wisdom, the ability to have fresh thought, an embodied understanding how life or how something works (technical term is an ‘AHA’ experience), is not privileged to a select few. They understand that this wisdom arises from within a creative energy, a higher-level awareness, that lies beyond the busyness of our intellectual mind and that is available to all of us at any time.
So how can we tap into this energy?
The trick is to create the space, where people can drop into this energy. And to point them where to look but not what to see!
In her book ‘Who do we choose to be? Facing reality, claiming leadership, restoring sanity!’ Margaret Wheatley challenges us as leaders with the questions “Who do we choose to be for this time? Are we willing to use whatever power and influence we have to create islands of sanity that evoke and rely on our best human qualities to create, produce, and persevere?”
Here is the thing, the more we become aware of the presence of this energy, the more we experience life through the insights that arise from there. It feels like being in state of flow, just subtly deeper. We tend to be calmer and more relaxed, have less on our minds, see with the world with greater clarity, listen deeper, connect and interact with others in more harmonious ways, and come across as a calming light to others.
Showing up …!
And when we show up through the experience of this energy, with nothing on our minds, ready to see what emerges, we inherently create that space where others can just be in the moment! Where they also can become quieter, see their world with greater clarity, connect and interact in more harmonious ways and become a light to others.
When we point and connect from this space, we see each other as fellow human souls without judgement and labels, from a place of humility, compassion, and trust! This creates the conditions that draws out people’s creative potential. Conditions in which people naturally collaborate with each other as a community, learn from and through each other and enable each other to be the best they can be!
That brings me to the introductory quote:
In his TED talk ‘Can a TEDx talk really change the world?’, Michael Neill tells the story of his meeting with a Zen Master asking him about the concept of transmission (the idea behind the transmission is, the master transmits the Dharma to the students and the students becomes enlightened). To which the Zen master responded:
“There is something awake in me that is asleep in most people and when they spent time with me, it wakes up in them. And the more time they spent, the more awake that is. And sometimes, through Grace not Will, what is fully awake in me, awakens fully in them.” Zen Master
When we choose to be a beacon of light, through Grace not Will, we cannot but create the space, where that light in others can also awake!
So, in your next conversation with someone, listen with nothing on your mind, free from judgement, and hold the space allowing them to just be. Notice what you experience and what emerges …!
Lead the way and hold the space … with love, with patience, with humility, with kindness and with compassion … where others can just be and awake their light!
I trust that what you have read has intrigued you and aroused your curiosity! To further explore how you can be the light of inspiration or simply to reach out to start a conversation contact Mike at
mi**@mi***********.com
or visit www.mikeschwarzer.com.
I look forward to serving you with my next reflection!
to your highest learning and growth
Mike
About Mike Schwarzer
Mike is a Transformation Professional 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.
