- Adam Kahane
In his book by the same title, Adam Kahane argues that we will not address our tough societal challenges through powerful purposefulness alone or through loving inclusiveness alone. We need both, and not only that, we need the best of both: power that is not reckless and abusive, and love that is not sentimental.
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- Margaret Wheatley & Deborah Frieze
Emergence - the way natural systems develop new behaviours - provides a model for supporting and magnifying the small-scale economic, environmental and social innovations we desperately need on a global scale.
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Shifting Trajectories
BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION, here is a history of apocalyptic thinking: for the two million years leading up to the 1950s, the only ones who were concerned about the end of the world were either fervently religious or insane. By the 1950s, however, the power to destroy ourselves became apparent thanks to the threat of thermonuclear war. At the same time, some people began to notice how we were numerous and ingenious enough to poison ourselves over a somewhat longer period. Now it seems that those nuclear and ecological concerns have been nearly eclipsed by the inconvenient truth of the 21st century. In a few short years, global climate change has moved from possible to probable, from probable to irrefutable, from irrefutable to it-keeps-moving-faster-than-we-thought.
Our vision of the future has changed irrevocably - there is no choice but to shift the trajectory of civilisation. And who is bold enough and smart enough and caring enough to make that shift happen?
It may as well be us.
To help us in the task at hand, this premier issue of the Oxford Leadership Journal is brimming with trajectory-shifting smarts.
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Adam Kahane has shared the Introduction to his edgily titled new book, Power and Love. As a facilitator myself, I am in awe of the personal honesty and persistence Adam brings to his facilitation work - disasters, triumphs and everything in between. Meg Wheatley and Debbie Frieze outline their strategy and experience in scaling up social innovation, connecting the most promising initiatives wherever they are found, and eliciting something greater than the sum of the parts. Julio Olalla probes deeply into the assumptions of the western mind and begins to point to some hopeful alternatives. In fact, all the contributors have some unique and eminently useful handle on shifting trajectories. I expect you will agree.
So let's work on this together, okay? Share your wisdom and experience in shifting trajectories through the Facebook or Twitter links provided or by contacting us directly. And please take a few minutes to forward this free journal to friends, clients and colleagues. To be honest, we could use a few more hands.
With gratitude, Robert Ziegler, Editor
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