The familiar life horizon has been outgrown; the old concepts, ideals and emotional patterns no longer fit; the time for the passing of a threshold is at hand
Joseph Campbell
A few years ago I participated in a wonderful three and one-half day retreat with an organization called Rites of Passage.
This retreat called Quest for Leadership brought me back in touch with nature. Not only with nature surrounding me, but most importantly, with my own nature. With my innate wisdom.
One of the most valuable things I believe I provide my clients is a time to retreat from the frantic pace and noise of their day to day world. I believe that the time we spend together allows them the time to get a bit of quiet and introspection. To be able to tap into their own wisdom. They know it’s there, but the noise around them is so much louder it is difficult to hear.
This is the reason I decided to go to the workshop. I had been feeling a bit out of synch with those around me and with the world in general. I was questioning what is next for me in my own leadership in the world. I wanted a deeper understanding of how my leadership might fit into a bigger picture and a bigger game.
I also wanted to connect again with nature. I live in a very beautiful place, but can never seem to find the time to spend a bit of it in the natural areas that are easily accessible to me.
The traditional hierarchical structures of command and control that are still in organizations are dying. This type of leadership does not work any longer in our complex, volatile, and rapidly changing world.
The focus on leadership now is to discover and cultivate our own innate wisdom. We then can bring this forward and inform how we naturally want to be as a leader and how we can make a positive impact.
This is truly leading from within.
When I was training at Coaches Training Institute, one of the concepts I learned is that we all have our own answers. It just takes time, great questions and going inward to find the answers.
At this part of my journey, my answers are all within me. You might want to take a look there yourself and see what you may find.
You might finally answer these questions for yourself:
- What is my highest calling?
- What is the legacy I will leave behind?
- How can I make a profound difference?
- How can I best lead?
It was impossible to stay indoors. My room seemed too small to contain my happiness. I needed the whole of nature to unbosom myself.
Alexandre Dumas
Written by Pat Obuchowski