The Wise Leader Course

 

Loud, unruly egos at any level bend teams and organizations out of shape.

Barring some few exceptional saints and sages, we all have an ego – that is simply a fact of life. It’s that inner voice which chats away to us, often judging us and others about how we are doing. That voice is sometimes preoccupied by our own self-interest, concerned with where we stand in the eyes of others. It is the voice that chide or applauds us, always trying to make sure we’re OK. In the face of complexity and uncertainty that voice will often restrict our freedom to act, driving us back to known, familiar paths.

Leaders who are called on to lead in the face of complexity must find a way of quietening that demanding inner voice so they can step with confidence into the open space of uncertainly and work from there.

More than that – leaders who have quietened their own egos, who stand more confidently with how things actually are – inspire more willing and co-operative community around themselves.

There are four factors that can help the ego to quieten and wisdom to emerge:

Mindfulness, Compassion, a Sense of the Interdependence of Living Systems (including human systems) and Values.

What is the format?

• Typically, 4 x 3-hour sessions at monthly intervals
• Supported by peer inquiry groups in-between sessions – with optional facilitation
• Virtual or face-to-face
• For groups of between 8 & 12 people

Who is it for?

• For anyone engaged in a leadership task.

What will they learn?

• They will learn more about how the human mind works and how our egos can get in our way.
• They will learn four interrelated ways of quieting their own egos: 
  • Mindfulness – an open-hearted awareness of, and engagement with, each changing moment.
  • Compassion – a deep awareness of the suffering of oneself and others coupled with the wish to relieve it. 
  • A sense of the interdependent nature of all living things. How we are all embedded in a web of life.
  • They will explore and make explicit their own deepest held values.
• They will learn to explore rather than navigate. Exploration involves working where there is no known map to be relied upon. Egos are often safety-seeking in nature. By quieting them, leaders develop more confidence in their capacity to step away from familiarity to find ways of delivering successfully in the new world that is opening up right now.

Read an article on Wise Leadership in the European Business Review here.

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