What does social purpose mean in the context of my life? How do I apply my belief in a social purpose? How I answer these questions may provide insight into the extent to which I have retained my systemic sensibility:
Living in a relational world is an evolutionary context into which we are born. Becoming conscious that this is our birthright is another thing, it seems. This is a challenge, as coming to be aware of relational dynamics is the essence of a systemic sensibility needed for our living. (Ison & Straw, 2020, p. 110)
According to Ison and Straw, our respective systemic sensibilities can be framed within the concept of resisters, revivalists, and remainers (p. 110). In what ‘camp’ do you/I fall? How might an identification with a particular group inform ‘our’ personal leadership theory? Is it likely that we fall into one camp or another?
Such ‘either-or’ framings of questions are challenging because they lead to absolute thinking and (metaphorical and real) dead-ends. In trying to advance objectives within an organization, leaders must consider the present external landscape, which is fraught with deep uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. We are living in an ecological crisis (Canty, 2014), and this recognition can help all leaders develop a deeper appreciation for the impact this crisis may have on the people they lead.
Bernstein (2005) says there is “a craving for moral certainty and absolutes” (p. 26), and there can be “a desperate search for metaphysical and religious comfort” (p. 26), which he contends is based on illusions. As a leader—we must be mindful that the skills we develop is not mistaken for knowledge or at least the kind that confers a sense of ‘rightness’.
At the other end of this one-way road is ‘wrongness’, and so where do we to go in any conversation if we toggle (back and forth) between such large, amorphous concepts? Discussions of right versus wrong represent penultimate examples of reductionist thinking, which are inadequate in a complex world.
What is a leader to do, then, in a complex world? In part 3 of To ‘Lead’ Or Not To ‘Lead’, I answer this rhetorical question.
References
Bernstein, R. J. (2005). The abuse of evil: The corruption of politics and religion since 9/11. Cambridge: Polity.
Canty, J. M. (2014). Walking between worlds: Holding multiple worldviews as a key for ecological transformation. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 33(1), 15–26. https://doi.org/10.24972/ijts.2014.33.1.15
Ison, R. L., & Straw, E. (2020). The hidden power of systems thinking : governance in a climate emergency (Ser. Systems thinking). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351026901
