#14 Shadow and Leadership - with Parker Palmer & Jerry Colonna

10 snips

Mar 19, 2015

Join Parker Palmer, a prolific writer and activist known for his insights on leadership and social change, as he teams up with Jerry Colonna to explore the concept of 'shadow' in leadership. They delve into how unconscious aspects of ourselves influence our work and relationships. Their discussion emphasizes the importance of vulnerability for authentic leadership and how embracing one's shadow can lead to personal growth. They also tackle the challenges of fear in educational environments and the value of reframing failures in collaborative settings.

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INSIGHT

Understanding Shadow in Leadership

Shadow in leadership represents unconscious parts influencing actions positively or negatively.
A leader's responsibility is recognizing and integrating these shadows to reduce their unseen power.

ANECDOTE

Chang Tzu's Shadow Story

A story about a man trying to escape his shadow but failing illustrates the futility of avoiding parts of ourselves.
Acceptance and stillness allow one to face and integrate the shadow.

INSIGHT

Wholeness Includes Shadow

Wholeness means embracing both light and shadow, including failures and fears.
Authentic leadership emerges by acknowledging all parts, not just strengths.

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The Long Black Bag

Robert Bly

Nature and the human soul

cultivating wholeness and community in a fragmented world

Bill Plotkin

This book introduces a model for human development that is both ecocentric and soulcentric. Bill Plotkin presents a blueprint for individual development rooted in the natural world, defining eight stages of human life: Innocent, Explorer, Thespian, Wanderer, Soul Apprentice, Artisan, Master, and Sage. The book offers a way to transition from an ego-centric, competitive society to an eco-centric, soul-based one that is sustainable, cooperative, and compassionate. It provides practical advice and personal stories, including those of elders Thomas Berry and Joanna Macy, to help readers grow into a more complete and genuine adulthood and eventually an elderhood of wise caring for the more-than-human world.

I Don't Want to Talk About It

The Hidden Epidemic of Depression in Men

Terry Real

Terry Real's "I Don't Want to Talk About It" explores the hidden epidemic of depression in men, connecting it to societal expectations of masculinity and emotional repression. The book delves into the roots of male depression, often tracing them back to childhood experiences and the impact of traditional gender roles. Real challenges the notion of stoicism and encourages men to embrace vulnerability and emotional expression. He provides practical strategies for men to address their emotional struggles and build healthier relationships. The book's impact lies in its ability to validate the experiences of men struggling with depression and offer a path towards healing and connection.

Let Your Life Speak

Listening for the Voice of Vocation

Parker J. Palmer

In 'Let Your Life Speak', Parker J. Palmer reflects on the journey of finding one's true vocation through a deeply personal and compassionate lens. The book encourages readers to listen to their inner selves rather than external expectations, and to embrace their true identities and integrity. Palmer shares his own experiences, including struggles with depression and unconventional career paths, to illustrate the importance of authenticity and self-awareness in discovering one's calling. The book emphasizes that vocation is not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be received, and that it involves aligning one's life with one's natural gifts and interests.

Lovingkindness

The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

Sharon Salzberg

In this inspiring book, Sharon Salzberg shows how the Buddhist path of lovingkindness can help us discover the radiant, joyful heart within each of us. Drawing on Buddhist teachings, wisdom stories from various traditions, her personal experiences, and guided meditation exercises, Salzberg teaches how to cultivate the four 'heavenly abodes' of traditional Buddhism: love, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. The book emphasizes the importance of self-love and acceptance as a foundation for extending these caring feelings to all beings, and it provides practical instructions for meditation and real-life practices to achieve true happiness and genuine compassion for others[1][4][5].