Quantum Laws of Leadership

21 Quantum Laws of Leadership

1. Understanding the Current Reality that we are living in :

We, human beings have created mess on the planet which can be understood as the ecological divide, the social divide and spiritual divide.

The ecological divide is the disconnect between us and nature.

The social divide is the disconnect between us and other human beings.

The spiritual divide is the disconnect between us and us (our highest future possibility).

We are living in various bubbles and to that degree we are living in the bubbles, we are disconnected from reality.

2. There is an urgent need to shift from ego-centric mindset to eco-centric mindset.

Ego means boundary. When we think of ourselves as individuals or small groups like department or company or family or a community, we are creating a boundary and some people are included in it and others are not.

Eco means all inclusive.

There is a need to shift from being ego-centric to being eco-centric. That will make a difference in our personal lives and the way we live in our organizations and society.

3. Blindspot of Leadership :

The success of our intervention depends on the interior condition of the intervenor. Our interior condition is the source of our performance.

Our interior condition includes the 3 dimensions of :       

1. Quality of Attention

2. Quality of Intention

3. Quality of Presence.

• What is the quality of attention ? How are you dealing with the distractions, both internal and external distractions?
• Quality of Intention – Is it an ego intention or is it an eco-intention.
• Presence = Present + Sensing.

Are you in the present moment awareness and are you sensing the world around you and sensing the future that wants to emerge.

4. Leaders master transforming perceptions.

We are living in our heads.

The real world is outside.

We need to get out of our heads and connect with real people and real world from multiple perspectives not just ours.

Everything begins with getting out of our heads. There is no new possibility in the head. It is only past in different packages. Genuine listening needs curiosity, compassion, and courage. Leaders must foster these attributes in themselves and their teams.

5. Transforming Perception begins with moving from habitual forms of listening to conscious efforts of deep listening and sensing.

The biggest barrier of deep listening is the thought ‘I am listening’.

We are never listening.

We are listening through our opinions, judgement, cynicism, and fears.

6. Real Leaders have leaders around them.

A team of leaders talk in a different language.

Leaders operate in a different field of conversation.

Neither a language of agreement nor a language of opposition; but a language of exploration, exploring various perspectives shared by everyone and building on each other’s ideas.

Teams who are stuck in the language of agreement or opposition remain mediocre at the best.

7. YOU ARE MORE INTELLIGENT THAN YOUR BRAIN.

Human beings are more intelligent than their brains.

Our brain intelligence is only one of our intelligences.

We have the intelligence of our heart, the intelligence of our body and also we can tap into the collective intelligence of our teams and people around us.

We can channelize all multiple intelligences when we develop the proficiency of being present and sensing from the whole.

8. New Relationship with Problems and Challenges :

We are stuck in our problems and challenges, not because of the situations,

but because of the way we are looking at the situation.

When you transform your perception of people, situation, and self – you discover new pathways for action.

Also when you move away from the limitations of the intelligence of the brain and can all the other intelligences – specially the intelligence of the heart, intelligence of the body and the collective intelligence of committed people with open mind, open heart and open will – a new world of opportunities open up. New pathways become possible.

9. Real Leadership begins after connecting to the Higher Self.

Each one of us has 2 Selves.

The small self also called the transactional self and the higher self also called as the real self. But, the small self is an omni-present illusion (maaya) and we are in the trap of that illusion. Leadership begins when we can see the illusion.

10. An extra ordinary team is a team of people connected to the Higher Self & Higher Purpose.

That team will have performance and fulfillment as its natural state.

People bringing their soul to the workplace is the game.

11. Learning from the past is not enough.

The future is too dynamic for that.

We need to learn new skills for learning from the future as it emerges.

The skills of deep  listening, sensing, sensemaking

followed by the skills of deep connect, collaboration and co-creation..

12. No reflection – no learning.

The process of learning from the future is in three phases.

1. Observe Observe Observe (Observe with open mind, open heart and open will  

2. Retreat and Reflect.  

3. Act in an instant. (learning by doing)

13. Leadership is not about ‘What you want to create’ ; but sensing what the world needs.

What future can you be in service of ? What possibility can you be an instrument for ?

Leadership is not about ‘What you want to create’; but sensing what is the future that wants to emerge and then co-create the future in sync with the emerging future.

14. 5 People can change the world.

With 1 person it is difficult; but a small group of committed people can make the difference.

Create a small team of committed people who are equally passionate about the intention such that they are partnering a common intention and not helping you in your intention.

Team with members of complimentary competencies is great.

15. The quality of relationship of the team determines the impact the team can have on the world outside.

The quality of communications in the team determines the experience, efficiency, and the effectiveness of the team. The difference in performance can be by a factor of 10 or even 100.

16. LEARNING BY DOING :

Action is not after planning. Action is part of the learning process.

Learning by doing is much better than trying to have one master plan and trying to push through with that plan.

Every step is a learning experiment and an opportunity to discover better and better ways to fulfill the intention.

Nurture the core team. That is the foundation.

17. Go out in the world and see for yourself.

Create that culture.

‘Office’ is not the best place for learning.

Being in the field, in communication with the stakeholders, the front-line people, the customers, vendors, people across different industries are much better mechanisms of learning.

 

18. Understand Layers of Reality and What causes Reality

There are multiple layers and one needs to be proficient in understanding the world of current reality. One way to understand is to look at the current reality from the perspective of an Iceberg i.e. 10% visible and 90% under the water.

The symptoms are the visible part.

The performance of the organization. The financial success of the country. The gaps of the haves and have nots. They are all visible.

The invisible part or the not so easily visible parts are 1. Structures that are causing the current reality and keeping the current reality in existence; 2. The Mindset which underlies the structures as well as the current reality and finally 3. The Source dimension – that is at the source of the mindset, the structures and the current realities.

19. Levels of System Change :

We can react at the surface level, the symptom level; OR

We can redesign the structures and processes; OR

We can reframe our thinking ; OR

We can practice PRESENCING i.e. being in the present and connected to our collective sources of intention and creativity; sensing the future that wants to emerge. Build the space of collective creativity.

20. Principles of System Change :

You cannot understand a system unless you get involved in the changing of it. That is the time, you start getting to see the various dimensions and interconnects of the current system and why it is there.

With the same consciousness, we cannot transform the system. We need to first transform our consciousness and the consciousness of all involved.

We cannot transform consciousness of the system, unless we transform the perception. We need to turn the camera around and get the system to see itself from the eyes of various stakeholders. That is when we realize that collectively we are creating results that nobody wants.

To transform the system, we need to sense and actualize the emerging future.

21. The Phases of System Transformation:

The 5 phases of system transformation or brining any significant change in a community, organization or society are as follows:

1. Co-Initiating : Getting committed people to come together and listen to each other and create a common intention.
2. Co-Sensing : Going out in the world and observing with fresh eyes, open mind and open heart.
3. Presencing : Connecting to the higher self and purpose and allowing new ideas and inspirations to emerge.
4. Co-Creating : Experimenting and Prototyping the ideas and hypothesis and practicing learning by doing.
5. Co-Evolving : As the learning through prototyping evolves, we can institutionalize the new ways of working.

 

Never give up. You are not alone. The world is with you when you are working with an Eco intention.

Articulated by Manoj Onkar of MANGEMENT INNOVATIONS & EMERGING FUTURZ based on Theory U by Dr. Otto Scharmer of M.I.T. (US) Author available at manoj@managementinnovations.co.in and manoj@emergingfuturz.com

 

 

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