The Odyssey of Leadership
When we cross turbulent seas and navigate uncharted territory, real or metaphorical, an ally can be extremely valuable in avoiding the reefs and walking each other home.
When a leader becomes aware of a gap between where they are and where they want to be, they can consider making a concerted effort to move and intentionally address the change that was already seeking to manifest itself. They are now inhabited, like the famous poet Paul van Ostaijen, by the question: “What can I do that has not yet been done?” They too hum in the morning shower: “I want to be naked / and begin.”
Sometimes the catalyst for change seems to be a particular event, repeated comments from colleagues, or simply a feeling of malaise that uncomfortably prolongs into a sensation that thinking is blocked and stuck in a loop.
Departure is the first step of the journey, as the leader recognizes their need for change as a call from afar and dares to leave behind some of the ways of operating that were previously comfortably familiar. The second step is the actual journey, a period of transition during which the leader travels through landscapes shrouded in mist and enveloped in fog. They encounter obstacles and face trials that open a path to transformation. Free…
