The Field We Love Playing On

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." - Rumi

The quote above has stayed closely with me ever since I first heard it many years ago. It's a theme that I strive to personally embody (imperfectly) and professionally foster (again imperfectly) each and every day. Our individual and shared journeys of potential can at times feel littered by judgement and competition (a combination of our own and others). Whether that judgement and competition is real, perceived or feels embedded and immovable, it's presence can have a significant impact on our ability to lead and make a difference in our own and others lives.

"Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there.” - Virginia Burden

Cooperative advantage for us is how we change the game. Unpacking, fostering and leveraging it within our own and others lives opens up pathways to purposefully reconnect with the field we love playing on. Interconnectedness is our innate way of being as humans. It's also how we most effectively bring leadership to life. This past week I got to witness another inspiring example of what's possible when we consistently reflect on, practice and celebrate cooperative advantage within our spheres of influence.

"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." - Harry S Truman

The Year 6 students were completing their 9th L.E.A.D. with Me weekly session. The three classes have only got one more program day this week that will conclude this part of the program. The reason I say this part of the program is we are always committed to connection to meaningful action beyond all our program experiences, whether it's through ongoing communication, reflection opportunities or the continued practice of the student's developing skills, attitudes and behaviours. That's why last week's session was all about how do we bridge the gap, between where we are and where we can be.

"The real challenge is for each of us to determine where we feel we can make the most impact." - Jay Samit

In a particular challenge two groups became one. They weren't told to. They didn't need to ask permission to. And they certainly weren't looking for recognition from others for doing so. They just noticed, and then acted on, that the combination of people, resources and time would be so much more effective this way than trying to go it alone. It was powerful to watch. Especially because in the now bigger group no one needed to be in control. There were invitational questions, each group member was heard, everyone bought in, everyone played a role, and really importantly everyone celebrated the journey up to and post completion. It was cooperative advantage in action.

"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilisation work." - Vince Lombardi