ARTICLES
Containing the pain of Change
Sharing
thoughts and theory on containment, the valuable ability for leaders to
harbor mental complexity to gain progress. Let's face it, change is
messy, and the mistakes are there, waiting to be made. If we can
tolerate the inner pains and hold back defenses toward the phycological
reorientation, the organization can land on its two feet at the end of a
turbulent cycle. Link to article here
Facing uncertainty, how do you keep the music playing
How can leaders deal with the unknown? Maria João Pires' concert in Stockholm made me think of a Pires anecdote (recorded) that shows the value of creating a holding environment to tolerate uncertainty.
Social Defense and Change
Everyone agreed: This is the way forward. And then... not much happens. Everyone seems busy but too little gets done. What's going on? It may be time to analyze your organization's social defense systems.
Link to article here
A Push for Results: Force Applied to What Cannot Be Forced
A sourdough doesn't reward urgency. Push it too hard, too soon, and it doesn't get better faster. It cracks and loses its power and potential.
This experience matters, because it changes what you can fix. If harm comes from something breaking, you repair it. But if harm is what the system produces when it's working correctly, none of that helps.
Erich Fromm (1976) called this the having mode: performing commitment, forcing outcomes, mistaking the gesture of trying hard for real engagement.
The dough doesn't care how committed you are. Neither do planetary boundaries.
Link to article here