Today’s Awakening: I woke this morning with this thought, what is leadership? In light of the responses to the events in Paris and world at large as well as the USA’s current crop of potential Presidential “leaders,” which is quite frankly quite frightening to me-on BOTH sides of the aisle-I am asking myself…What are the qualities of an integrated leader?
In Linda Kohanov‘s book The Power of the Herd, she speaks to this. Here’s a quote that I hope will offer you something to think about today, as we process how we move forward as a society. Your thoughts are welcome…as long as we respect one another’s right to have a different opinion. No cruelty or name calling please. Different thoughts are how we come to new vision. That is called discourse. In the Epona model we invite people to sit and be in witness to Self, without panicking in uncomfortable emotions and feelings.
Here is a thought provoking excerpt from Linda’s book The Power of the Herd:
Horse herds exemplify collective non-predatory power in action. They are adept at negotiating individual and group needs simultaneously. And they are living examples of the evolutionary advantage of mutual aid over competition. Predators, even groups of predators like wolf packs, rarely attack herds of adult horses as they are incredibly dangerous when they join forces to protect themselves. And yet, horses do not “go for the throat” or enact revenge. And contrary to popular belief, they do not live in fear. They demonstrate high levels of emotional agility, going “back to grazing” after eluding or fighting predators, spending the largest portion of each day in a state of relaxed awareness, gentle exploration, joyful play, deep peace, and profound connection.
The Power of the Herd is ultimately concerned with social evolution, the long, slow process of moving from a predatory dominance-submission paradigm (one that employs fear, intimidation, trauma, and disempowerment to nourish the few at the expense of the many) to independence (an initially invigorating yet problematic, adolescent stage of development) to empowered interdependence where groups of people learn how collaborate effectively and considerately. The latter stage draws on the “power of the herd,” the ability of an authentic community to negotiate and support individual and group needs simultaneously, boosting inspiration, innovation, and connection, continually adjusting to challenging circumstances while fostering an adaptable yet joyful, balanced, sustainable lifestyle.
by Heart Light Digital