The future we want to leave for generations to come will emerge from mindful wise leaders, those who step beyond traditional leadership.
The tumultuous times we live in and the scientific evidence of fairly imminent extinction ask us to center our lives in wisdom, to look for it, amplify it, support each other to be mindful - aware and conscious - as we lead with a full hearted commitment to creating lasting benefit for the world.
Why mindfulness and wisdom? These 3 reasons lay out the path we walk together:
This is a critical time for humanity. Our collective wisdom is urgently needed and yet, it is not at the forefront of our economic and political world or daily life.
Wisdom can be mindfully cultivated and developed in ourselves, in others and in organizations. Wisdom builds when we take time to understand and appreciate how we are wise.
Leaders who develop an integrated wisdom improve their ability to envision and build sustainable business along with a safer, more humane and just world.
In September, 2003, I first wrote these three reasons to focus on wisdom. They feel as true to me today as they did that year when I stepped up my exploration of wisdom while on the board of the Spirit in Business Global Institute.
In 2004, my keynote at the European Bahai Business Forum (in a gorgeous retreat center near the eastern border of the Netherlands) explored the kind of wise leaders we need, leaders who: redefine power, reckon with the inner knowing of their heart and lead us toward a sane, sustainable and healthy culture and I continue to do so today because it matters so much to future generations.
In March this year I again attended Wisdom 2.0 in San Francisco, a conference dedicated to living and working with greater mindfulness, meaning and wisdom in our modern age. Speakers from Google, SAP and Linked In spoke on their active programs to develop mindfulness in hundreds of employees. Other speakers addressed climate change, new paradigms for technology, empathy in the age of AI, change, and personal and social transformation.
The future invites us all to be leaders who are wise, mindfully making daily decisions that are good for the wider circles of life. Who might we be if we chose to listen for and act from our wisest self?
Additional Resources
Learn more about our annual women’s wisdom retreats on the beautiful island of Molokai, Hawaii.
Gina Lazenby’s interview of Karen is an invigorating conversation about wisdom, and the distinction of feminine wisdom.
Would you like to develop wise leadership and mindfulness in teams? Please contact me today for a free consult.