Calling "the crazy ones" - the ones who think they can change the world... (is that you??)

I received a framed version of this quote back in my IBM days, as an acknowledgement of the work we were doing with leaders at IBM, bringing in more of a coaching culture.

And it resonated deeply with me. And helped me to see things differently... Because, well, at least I knew that I wasn't alone in feeling like a square peg in a round hole! It gave me HOPE that maybe, just maybe, I could be a game changer or even a world changer! And so I continued to work passionately for what mattered to me at the time: on nurturing the health of my family (due to a health crisis at home) and at IBM by helping to leaders to extend their leadership styles to include coaching and "bigger game" thinking in order to create high performance teams that respected individual strengths and values.

As I continued to evolve in my own leadership journey, I was inspired by my kids to make sure I did my best to make the world a good place for future generations - I often found myself in the role of the "crazy one", or the "positive deviant", and I learned much about operating as an internal change agent, and the enablers and barriers of change. You might find more hope and inspiration here in this article from HBR about the role of positive deviance and unlikely innovators.

Today, I am inspired to see pioneers in every industry working hard to make positive change happen in different ways:

• by making sustainability real - with meaningful action

• by working to get healthy food into school cafeterias

• by working on healthcare and insurance reform

• by piloting new innovative alternative or integrated healthcare approaches

• by building better buildings, transportation systems, manufacturing processes that consume less and produce less waste

• etc... the list is endless and inspiring...

Society is a living organism, and has a need for all of us square pegs or "positive deviants". My current work is in bringing new solutions and methods to "the crazy ones" - the pioneering leaders that are committed to making the world (or some part of it!) better. And it is about working smarter - and leading in new ways. Instead of individual herculean efforts, leaders of change must leading collectively - leveraging the unique strengths of others who are aligned with their vision - to make change happen faster.

Which way is up? Seeing things differently and a view worth saving...

While so much of the world is focused on "the internet of things" and innovating with technology, my focus is on the human systems (you and me and our organizations and networks). And if you are one of the "crazy ones", know that you are not alone and there are solutions that can greatly accelerate your success! Solutions and methods like The Bigger Game and Collective Leadership - which I use with organizational leaders who are looking at amplifying their impact in their company, their industry, and their value chain.

I don't work alone (it's hard being crazy alone - and I've found out it's not really an effective way to bring about change!). I have been inspired to work with others, including the late Laura Whitworth, and the very alive Rick Tamlyn who co-created the Bigger Game model and have inspired a network of Bigger Game leaders and coaches. I have also been privileged to work closely with co-founders ofPresenceAtWork, Jane Weber and Roelien Bokxem - they are pioneers in bringing a new kind of leadership development into the world - and I am now certified to lead this work in the US.

What about you? Who are your most important allies? Have you looked in your toolbox lately? What can you share here - insights for others transformational leaders? Let's not "go it alone" - there's way too much good work to be done!

Daring to lift our gaze from our "smaller worlds"

It is easy to get on our daily treadmill and focus our attention on our smaller world of work, family, and friends. Surely, we can all do this and our plates will feel full. Our time and attention could be spent here easily. However, there is a bigger picture at play that is affecting all of our smaller worlds, and I urge you to continue to lift your gaze and shift your attention out to the broader space of the ecology of our planet, and the system of systems that enable our smaller worlds to be either stable or not so stable.

This article by Bill McKibben from the Guardian on April 3 points the finger strongly at Exxon Mobile - labeling them consummately arrogant. I won't judge the people of Exxon Mobile in that way, or even necessarily the entity, because I believe their behavior is a reflection (still) of their market. And who is their market? WE ARE. We buy the fuel that comes out of the ground, that transports our goods, that fuels the tractors that till the land to produce crops we eat, or that feed the animals that become protein on our dining room tables, or in the fast food lane. "They" are "us".

It is hard to imagine a world without fossil fuels. It is also hard to imagine a world where fossil fuel consumption has changed where we can live, what we can eat, and what wildlife remains to support us.

We can make choices now that will create a better, more stable future. Or we can stay on autopilot, and hope that others make the right decisions on our behalf. Or we can be in denial - and believe that none of this will ever impact us or our children's children.

And if you are in the climate change denier camp - and it seems that many still are - based on this April Fool's folly documented so well by Joel Makower at GreenBiz "Climate change is good for you! Wait: It's April 1st. Or is it?". He writes of a new "study" from the "Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change" published by the right-wing Heartland Institute, claiming that the small amount of climate change that might be caused by humans is beneficial to plants and animals.

So climate change deniers, and climate change "undecideds" - what if climate change isn't real or isn't impacted by human behaviour? What if we "clean up our act" and switch to cleaner fuels, cleaner manufacturing processes, sustainable building processes, and live more in harmony with nature - only to find out we didn't really need to? Would that be so very bad? I don't think so... And imagine the innovation that will be unleashed in the process. Imagine a company workforce being revitalized because they are challenged to rethink everything! Imagine graduating from an engineering program, or a marketing program - with an awareness of ecological design and sustainability principles - and helping to reinvent and revitalize your profession!

You know, we can do this. Not all alone. But collectively. So lift your gaze, and imagine the possibilities...

Are you someone that is "Daring Greatly" in your life and work?

On Saturday morning I read a quote on the inside cover of a new book - Daring Greatly - by Brené Brown whose research on "wholehearted living, shame and resilience" was catapulted into mainstream after her first TED talk on vulnerability, followed by Oprah interviews. This quote by Theodore Roosevelt is quite profound:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points our how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly... who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails by daring greatly."  Theodore Roosevelt

So, I've think I've been "daring greatly" in this field of organizational transformation for quite some time, and I am currently marred by dust and sweat - as I work to launch the PresenceAtWork Collective Leadership Program from the Netherlands in the US on April 2 - 4 (the subject of my last three blogs!).  And frankly, I'm also daring greatly in my smart cities work inside of Schneider Electric too. 

Collective leadership is about maximizing the human systems potential around the table/room/globe to address challenges and drive opportunities within organizations and also across organizational boundaries. It is the subject of my last three blog entries - which include an overview of the Collective Leadership video overview with me and Roelien Bokxem, one of the two co-creators of this program.

If you are someone that "dares greatly" and you are passionate about the need for a new kind of leadership - consider playing a "Bigger Game", and investing in your personal capacity to lead that change -  in your chosen "field of play". 

One last personal note. 

• Think about the nature of politics today in our government bodies and in our public and private organizations. 
• Think about the average executive team, and the way they make decisions. 
• And then think about the magnitude of the challenges we face across the globe today - challenges that ONLY can be addressed by a new level of COLLECTIVE leadership, and collaborative innovation at every level. 

Collective leadership is about capacity building - and we really do need you to help lead the way. Here is one resource from the Collective Leadership Institute where you can learn more - http://stakeholderdialogues.net/media/uploads/Collective_Leadership_Studies_Vol1-Shifting_the_Way_We_Co-create.pdf . 

And if you are looking for someone to help you take your game to the next level, reach out to me via LinkedIn for a free consultation - or to share your story!