“Rarely has humanity faced such a convergence of challenges to its survival and its spiritual integrity. The changes that are upon us will demand an unprecedented degree of emotional maturity and spiritual commitment. Those who choose to be in the vanguard, leading humanity through these changes, will shoulder an enormous responsibility for the way in which they support others in their search for wholeness during this great transformation." — Spotted Eagle
I recently participated in a workshop facilitated by my teacher Jennie Marlow on spiritual leadership which has inspired many inquiries into just what leadership and service means to me. One of the points made early on is how our common default perspectives on tribe and leadership tend to get filtered through the lens of our Stone Age based constructs around power, safety, and value. We see this show up often in the media (e.g. Dances With Wolves) and in many modern spiritual models (any number of contemporary intentional communities) which romanticize the notion of 'tribal' life. We imagine it as a simpler way of life, in tune with nature, and without the pressing financial, environmental, and political pressures with which we are currently dealing. If we accept this paradigm as our benchmark, we may take action to create our lives and communities based on a model that is, in my view, neither sustainable nor practical.
My teacher Spotted Eagle speaks to the evolution of consciousness at play in modern times in transitional terms when he observes that humanity is in a collective grieving process as we experience the loss of the illusion of material security. We are, generally speaking, not well-equipped culturally or emotionally to grieve in a healthy manner. We tip out of power when we interpret the essentially impermanent nature of life as an indicator that our security is under constant threat, and then we feel justified in acting out our existential issues - often with destructive consequences. Our minds eagerly coalesce around efforts to recreate the perception that our lives are under control; thus reinforcing the Stone Age model of dominance and subservience that is the foundation of this model. In living this way nothing can move forward for us because this approach is fundamentally a closed circuit.
So then, how can we evolve our behaviors and choices to reflect a healthier, more balanced, point of view? Spotted Eagle suggests that we can begin by shaking up our notion of what a tribe is and, in so doing, offer our minds a tribal model that is not about disempowering ourselves or one another. In order to accomplish this rather daunting proposal, it serves us to turn our attention toward creating communities which support the authenticity of its members. Our challenge is to evolve our awareness and the use of our energy in service of embracing uncertainty every step of the way. As I see it, only then can we experience fulfillment - both as individuals and as communities. Regardless of the context of our experience, our personal responsibility remains the same; to become aware of our issues and the patterns through which we act them out - and then to use our tools to shift those patterns into alignment with our spiritual values...our desire to experience essence.
What comes to mind when you think about tribes, about leadership?
To get your inquiry going, or to perhaps expand on what you've already been pondering, I offer this interview with one of my heroes, Seth Godin. Seth's work is highly visible on line and in print, so if this inspires you, I encourage to you explore more at the bookstore &/or on the web. I happen to be partial to this one because of its relative informal, conversational quality. I hope you like it:
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