Risks to the Environment

Earth observation technology is enabling us to look at our environment in new ways. Satellite data and aerial images are being combined to give local businesses and public organisations access and better manage growing environmental risks such as biomass, air quality, temperature, flood risk, traffic management, etc.

As a change leader in the modern world you must be in touch with global and local threats and issues of sustainability.

• GREENHOUSE GASES - leading to higher temperatures and pollution in cities
• FOOD PRODUCTION - depends on crop health, soil conditions and growing seasons
• AIR POLLUTION - detrimental to human health, wildlife and buildings
• LAND USE - monitoring tree canopy, urban sprawl, flood risk and erosion

G-STEP the Space Technology Exchange Partnership There is a growing awareness locally and globally of our interconnectedness and the benefits that can flow from a more holistic understanding of our planet and the risks we are facing from human exploitation of its resources.

Learn more . . . www2.le.ac.uk/projects/g-step

Developing a spiritual nature

Exploring your spiritual nature can be a transformational experience. Leaders from all walks of life are increasingly interested in spirituality. It prompts questions of purpose, meaning, community and consciousness, that drive leadership from the inside-out and social networking from the outside-in.

A change leader with 'spiritual awareness' will encourage conversations about:

• MEANING - making sense of life's purpose and relationships
• VALUE - ethics, standards and beliefs about what's important
• TRANSCENDENCE - awareness and appreciation of life beyond self
• CONNECTEDNESS - links between self, others, the environment and the divine
• BECOMING - reflecting on life to discover who we are and why we are here

There is a growing awareness locally and globally of our interconnectedness and the benefits that can flow from a more holistic understanding of diverse human cultures, experiences and challenges.

Learn more . . .

Using active language

Most problems result from descriptive, mechanistic communication.  Conversations that lack clarity and focus lack a call to action. Active language seeks commitment, it holds people accountable and demands evidence.  If we want to do the best we can with what we have - and who doesn't - then knowing how to use language to demonstrate competence, reliability and sincerity is vitally important. Transcendent leaders learn:

• ALIGNMENT - linking personal and organisational values and priorities
• CONVERSATION - using offers and requests to achieve purposeful action
• RESPONSIBILITY - responding to the needs of others in ways that respect diversity
• MOTIVATION - focusing on solutions, positive attitudes and right behaviour
  

Coaching for performance is most effective when people deliver on their promises. Having a 'solutions focus' helps clarify priorities, overcome barriers and align words with actions. We mustn't limit ourselves to targets, but think how we can be the best we can be at what we do in different contexts.

Learn more ...

Metaphors create reality

A new metaphor, transcendence, is answering the call for new leadership, learning, and governance that is more inclusive, more open and trusting, more accepting of new ideas and information, more meaningful and participatory, more supportive of collective action and radical collaboration, more conversational and more willing to celebrate creative and divergent thinking. Its purpose is to unite the planet so that human talents and energies can be maximised for the betterment of all. What's behind this new world view is:

• THOUGHT - the ability to create images, see possibilities and give meaning to action
• CONSCIOUSNESS - the ability to be aware of our reality, creativity and experience
• MIND - the energy and intelligence that precedes our thinking and decision making
• PERSONALITY - our unique human potential, character, qualities, values and temperament

Learn more ...

Inspiring creativity and innovation

The power of a transcendent leader lies in the ability to create the extraordinary from the ordinary in everyday life. The most effective change happens in a balanced and holistic way. Life entrepreneurs champion insight and creativity through:

• IMPROVISATION - setting the tone, lifting spirits, fostering talent and stimulating creativity 
• PRESENCE - visible, trusting and supportive, sending signals that help others shine
• ENTHUSIASM - exuding a mood of positivity, energy and a belief that anything is possible
• IMAGINATION - creating stories and myths to envision a desired future
• PRAGMATISM - valuing relationships, free thinking and a can do attitude

Discovering and pursuing one's passion for life lies at the heart of authentic and transcendent leadership, education, business and governance.

Learn more ...

New ways of seeing and being

A Life Coach is someone who creates the conditions that help others change by getting in sync with their values, character and 'way of being'. Transcendent change values empathy, rapport, open and honest conversation to find new ways of seeing the world. This opens up the possibility of melding peoples diverse talents and develop collaborative values capable of addressing the most complex and intractable issues presented by a a new age of reason. With transcendent coaching leaders learn afresh how to:

• OBSERVE - how they observe themselves and others to create the 'right action'
• REFLECT - on how how they use self-talk and affirmations to get a commitment to act
• ASSESS - how they use words, emotional reactions and body posture to influence others
• CONNECT - by changing posture, pace, voice, mood and language to get rapport
• CLARIFY - to get at real goals, motivators, beliefs, next steps and will to change
• FOCUS - on the actions, thoughts, resources and vision needed to get the desired result

Learn more ...

Transcending the Ego

To engage in transcendent learning we must be prepared to value something that serves interests beyond our own.  In this way we come to see something being of intrinsic value or worthwhile for its own sake. This requires us to become 'ego-transcendent' and care for the welfare of others for its own sake.  Most formal learning prepares us for the world of work, to compete, to achieve financial success and high status in a materialistic society.  Transcendent learning explores:

• the way we create reality from our values, beliefs and experiences
• how we make distinctions and create meaning with others to create common ground
  
• engaging with the unknown to discover new opportunities for improvement
  
• using our multiple intelligences to value diverse needs and interests
• considering multiple perspectives and options to build consensus
  
• collecting, processing and interpreting information for mutual interest
• shifting our thinking and behaviour patterns to balance life and work

Learn more ...

Systemic and holistic change

• ECOLOGY - of hidden connections that impact on our identity, relationships and needs
• COMPLEXITY - of interactions that create change and make us who we are in the moment
• HARMONY - to be found in intelligent minds, thoughts, consciousness and spirit 
• PRINCIPLES - codes and laws that shape human nature and sustain whole system change

Learn more ...

We are all leaders now

In a world of scarce resources and over-indulgence we must take personal responsibility to emphasize the transcendent nature of being human - moral consciousness, tolerance, resilience, sensitivity in decision-making, collaborative relationships and pursuing non-financial aspirations.

As the whole world faces the prospect of having to do 'more with less', we must all live our values in the way we behave. The world urgently needs everyone to be creative and imaginative, seeking intrinsic satisfaction, not just material gain. Now is the time to focus on:

• COLLABORATION - working to create solutions that serve collective interests 
• ACCOUNTABILITY - taking responsibility for actions, thoughts, feelings and choices
• WELLBEING - valuing the health and wholeness of the human mind, body and soul
• AUTHENTICITY - displaying openness, honesty, empathy and trust in all relationships

Learn more ...

Learning from living systems

The process of change in living things takes place within complex adaptive or evolving systems - as are found in people's minds, organisations, social networks, local groups and ecosystems. We cannot control complex change because it is inherently unpredictable,but we can influence the conditions that generate it. If we look at living systems holistically they have profound lessons for how we should approach change in an increasingly complex world. These living systems are:

• TRANSCENDENT - they can 'bootstrap' generating something from nothing
• AUTOPOIETIC - are self-organised to be self-learning and self-sustaining
  
• EMERGENT - growth properties and bursts of energy where change changes itself
  
• COEVOLUTIONARY - are sensitive to initial conditions, rules and relationships
• SYNCHRONOUS - spontaneous order and coupled oscillations that emerge from chaos
  

Learn more here ...