Leading, Living, and Growing Through Change

Life is curly! Don't try to straighten it out! Chair of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Jennifer Bowerman, gives a talk on leading, living, and growing through change, highlighting the importance of white space in change moments. We are always in the light. We don't always see it, but it's there. Doubts are natural, but we can use them as signposts to guide us to the light. We always come out the other side. How do we manoeuvre in a world like this? The answer is that we want to keep as many options open as possible. We go for viability---something that's workable---rather than what's optimal. A lot of people say to that, "Aren't we accepting second-best?" No, we are not, because optimization isn't well defined any more. What we are trying to do is to optimize robustness, or survivability, in the face of an ill-defined future. And that in turn puts a premium on becoming aware of non-linear relationships and causal pathways as best we can. We observe the world very, very carefully, and we don't expect circumstances to last. -- Dr. Brian Arthur, in Waldrop When we're really in a stew! And we don't know what to do! Bring in the light Think "white space" And draw, draw, draw! And colour! There is no magic bullet to making us whole other than our own transformation. Our caring and sharing and loving for others are transformative practices that only exist in our heads, our hearts, and our hands. We have to work through our shadows that keep creating our dramas. Sunday Songs: You are Sacred Love When I Pray, by Daniel Nahmod God is my Source, by Karen Drucker Lean On Me, by Bill Withers