Sustainability Amid Scarcity

In the face of dramatic economic dislocation, the bogyman de jour, and unrelenting change, how will I divine how to proceed, whether individually or collectively? At what level of collaboration should I be concerned anyway?

A new magazine called “Yes!” has sprung up in the Pacific Northwest whose focus has great relevance to this question. Its mission is to support you and other people worldwide in building a just, sustainable, and compassionate world. The new summer edition is completely dedicated to articles about “The New Economy” which address the opening question in this blog posting head-on.

One article, “Age-Old Wisdom for the New Economy” is an interview with Rebecca Adamson, a distinguished Native American leader. She shares indigenous people’s age-old knowledge that drives to the heart of the matter of who to be with regard to the entire swirl around us. Following are a few of the many highlights in that article.

“An indigenous system is based on prosperity, creation, kinship, and a sense of enough-ness. It is about sharing.” She contrasts that with our recent economic gain focused society where “individual property rights are treated as exclusive.” She observes that a background of scarcity, or the notion that there’s not enough, drives this focus - we’re going to run out of _____ (fill in the blank for yourself).

We find scarcity running rampant with many of our clients. There’s not enough money, not enough time, not enough good people, not enough responsibility, not enough you name it. We also see many people pointing fingers at others for trying to get “theirs,” - Wall St. bankers going after huge pay and bonuses, for example - without realizing that it is the very paradigm in which our economic lives have been built that is at the root of the problem. You and I are not immune to, or separate from, that paradigm. It has been said that fish don’t know they are in water.

We invite you to examine where, in your own life, scarcity is running the show. What are the consequences of that belief, both for you and for those around you? What is it costing to allow that way of being to continue?

Rebecca offers an antidote that we invite you to try on for a period of time long enough for you to observe its effects. “Maintain the stance of abundance through tough times and through good times by having a spiritual base and good values - by caring about something other than yourself.” She continues, “Abundance comes not from stuff. In fact, stuff is an indication of non-abundance. Abundance is in the sacred: it’s in the connection of love. We find abundance through hard times when we find each other.”

The way we express her perspective is that abundance is a place to come from, a context to generate for your life and the lives of those around you. It takes intentional intervention on your part into the everyday noise of talking heads, threat levels, crises, and very real changes to the way things have worked or been done in the past. Generate it and then generate it again and again. Notice how your relationship with abundance/scarcity shifts. Discover how what you do and how you do it takes on new direction and meaning.

The Value of Cooperation vs. Competition

As many have written, (including us), these are extraordinary times. The thing is, they are likely more extraordinary than most of us realize. During today's Maestro Month Conference lecture, scientist/spiritualist and best-selling author Gregg Braden explained we are in a rare window of time and this generation is experiencing the greatest number and greatest magnitude of challenges of any generation in the last 5,000 years. He also says that other experts and great minds agree these challenges are being driven by natural cycles that are so rare we forget they even exist. (No wonder we all feel so stressed and overwhelmed!) The balance of this post is based on notes from Gregg's amazing lecture today. In 2005, experts from many fields gathered to ask in essence, "what's going on?" from a meta perspective. The journal Scientific American released an issue about this symposium called Crossroads for Planet Earth. On the cover, the subtitle is "will we choose to create the best of all possible worlds?" The bottom line of this symposium's outcome is that choices we are making right now during these months and years in the immediate future will determine our long-term outcome - and whatever is going to happen is going to happen soon. This means each of us - including you and me - are determining our collective futures by the actions and choices we are making right now.

We can go back through the history of the earth by drilling into and examining the ice cores in Antarctica. In doing this, scientists have discovered that these changes in earth cycles are really intense and they are also brief, so the transition we are currently experiencing is unlikely to go on for generation after generation. In fact, it will likely be only one generation. So we as a civilization must respond now. The choices each of us are making today will determine our collective future.

What scientists have discovered looking at archaeological records is civilizations that cooperate make it through these great transitions. Civilizations that didn't cooperate collapsed by reacting from fear, competition and aggression. By trying to "hold on to theirs," they essentially destroyed themselves. This is the value of looking at the past. We can see what worked and what did not. So the choice is clear - are we going to be fearful and fight and compete or are we going to help one another?

If you are not a believer in reviewing ancient history, how about the results of some recent scientific studies? Between the years 1998 and 2000, 400 studies were designed to identify the optimum amount of violent competition in a species. They looked at numerous varieties of species and the findings were consistent - the optimal amount of competition is "zero." They found that cooperation among species is what insures their survival. So the only way we can make successfully make this transition is to examine and rid ourselves of our notions of 'Darwinian competition' and learn to cooperate and help each other. This means at every level and on a global scale - not just how do I cooperate with my next door neighbors and others in business? But how do nations cooperate with other nations?

It is predicted that this transition will be complete relatively soon. It started in the 1980s and may be complete as early as 2016. We have already met and transcended many challenges and we have shown that while facing these unprecedented challenges, we are surviving and finding ways to solve our problems.

So know that it's a rare time. These changes are stressing all of our systems e.g. how we produce energy, and food and economics and also our personal lives. Systems that are sustainable will continue, and those that cannot will break and make way for something new. While this is happening we can insure the successful outcome of the changes and transitions by cooperating, collaborating and helping each other out.

So ask yourself - who have you helped today? Did you come up with a great cooperative joint venture with another company that will create a "win win" for both businesses? Did you help a colleague get an important project approved or completed? Did you make time to help a neighbor, a friend, or someone in one of your communities? Did you create just a little peace by letting someone get on the freeway more easily or make a safe lane change? It will take a cumulative effect of many cooperative acts great and small, but we can do this if we do it together from a mindset of cooperation instead of a mindset of competition.

Many thanks to Gregg Braden for his work and to Maestro Conference for hosting lectures by luminary thinkers for free!

Leadership Lessons from "The Blind Adventurer"

Every once in a while something comes along that is well beyond extraordinary.  The opportunity to hear Erik Weihenmayer, known as "The Blind Adventurer," give an hour and a half presentation on his experiences, motivations, lessons learned, and extraordinary worldview, was just that. Erik has reached the summit of the seven most challenging mountains in the world, including Everest, and successfully returned.  Erik's views are particularly applicable in navigating the New Rules for Reality 2.0 that we have been talking about. He emphasizes the essential role of vision, which he describes as "who you will be versus what you will do," when confronting the unknown. He views himself, and anyone who is in a transformational leadership mode, as a pioneer - someone who reaches into the darkness, the unknown, and then channels fear and adversity into action and fulfillment. To him, such people are alchemists who can turn straw into gold through being the light that shines for our vision.

His view of "summiting," which is such an all-important focus for climbers, is that it is a symbol that we can transform our lives and even the very face of the earth.  He asserts that there are summits for each of us, regardless of the venues in which we find ourselves, summits that express the essence of who we really are.

 He quoted a Buddhist saying from the prayer service on Everest prior to summiting as "The nature of mind is like water.  If you do not disturb it, it will become clear."  Quieting the mind is crucial to being present, making powerful choices, and dealing with the risk and pain that leadership in the face of fear, resistance, and unrelenting change demands.

 He makes a point that is fundamental to our work in 2130 Partners. "When you set your rope team up right, leadership comes from the most amazing places."  Further, as in the focus we have on legacy, he says "the most important part of leadership is how we pass it on to others."

 Erik is an amazingly awesome and simultaneously amazingly regular guy.  We urge you to hear him in a number of You Tube clips and also to buy his book, "Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man's Journey to Climb Farther than the Eye Can See: My Story

Are You Earning What You Are Worth?

Are you earning what you are worth? This is a question we have all asked ourselves -- perhaps many, many times. The answer shifts because our lives, our careers and work are dynamic. It's important to re-evaluate your answer to this very personal and very important question on a regular and periodic basis.

But how do you find out the answer? How do you know for sure? A couple of weeks ago we wrote about Marcia Brixey and her Money Wise Women education. One of the women that is often a featured speaker at Marcia's programs is Mikelann Valterra. We want to be sure you know about her too. Mikelann is the Founder of the Women's Earning Institute. Her mission is to empower women to earn what they are really worth.

In Mikelann's blog post of June 3^rd, called "The New Face of Underearning-Is It You?" she speaks to underearning using this definition, "the pattern of earning less than YOUR potential." We find her question and definition particularly important and relevant right now, (especially her use of the word "pattern" in the definition). As people are losing their jobs, opening businesses, and looking for new jobs, many are re-evaluating what they should charge for their services or command as a salary. This can be a very difficult and often emotional process of self-reflection.

Mikelann's empowering approach in her work shares the values we have at 2130 Partners. We believe in living your highest potential in every facet of your life. We believe in moving towards your highest vision for yourself and your business. We believe in what we call "green line conversations," meaning conversations that facilitate actions towards your vision. And we believe in people getting the tools and resources they need to make their highest visions reality.

One of the most important areas in your life to feel empowered about is money. One of the most important leadership skills you can give yourself is to feel confident with all the facets of the subject of money. And, one of the most important facets of money is how much you earn -- are you earning to your potential?

What Does Leadership Mean These Days?

As many have written, the model of leadership known as “command and control” is on the way out. “Command and control” has been the cultural paradigm of leadership for a very long time. It is all about having an authoritative leader, who knows most, (if not all), the answers and loyal troops who follow this leader. Hallmarks of this style include motivation through authority and fear. It also encourages the troops to follow the rules and policies and “fall in line,” versus being creative and innovative. To a large extent this style creates dependency of the troops on the leaders, and rewards status quo. It is not a particularly efficient model of operation. So what does ‘leadership’ mean now? Clearly that is a complicated question. At 2130, we believe to understand that question you need to start with "who are leaders now?" How do you define them? From our perspective, we believe that everyone can and should be a leader -- that leadership is not dependent on having a particular job title or rank in an organization. We’ll let Suzanne Frindt, one of our Co-Founders explain it:

So how do we all become leaders? What are the skills required? These questions are fundamental to the work we do at 2130. There are a lot of leadership theories out there, (and a lot of good information and great writers). However, our focus is on the day-to-day experience of leadership. Theories are great until you get back to the office and find frustrated employees, team relations breaking down, and challenges with vendors and partners. We believe it’s critical that leaders, (meaning everyone interested in leading their business and their life), build practical day-to-day skills and capacities so they can create the results they want.

Our Productive Interactions program is designed to help people do just that and our next session is on Friday, July 17th in Orange County. We’d love to see you there. (Click here for more information.) If you can’t make it, we are going to do more posts in the future to help people understand the value of interacting productively and how you can build those skills.

Money Wise Women

So much of the fear that is present right now is related to money. Everything from the state of the dollar and the global economy, to our personal credit cards and mortgages seems to be in turmoil. An important key to leading your life is leading your finances -- both business and personal. An important key to leadership is feeling empowered. With everything going on, where are you going to feel empowered about money? In the spirit of financial empowerment, we want to be sure you know about Marcia Brixey. She has put together "Money Wise Women Educational Services" and it has amazing tools and programs to empower women to be "financially fit." By gearing her message to women, Marcia has tapped into the challenges and even downright fear that many women feel around financial issues. She has developed a variety of tools, and a forum through her conferences, for women to come together and build their financial skills in a context of mutual respect, trust and safety. It is this context she creates that particularly catches our attention vs. other financial experts out there. We believe this type of context is critical for people to be able to learn, grow and prosper and be the leaders they want to be. Marcia's book "The Money Therapist" offers information and advice for women of every financial level. Topics range from getting out of debt, creating a budget, and spending wisely, to saving money and safeguarding against identity theft. Marcia's approach is very empowering and her positive attitude is both informative and encouraging.

Marcia's blog, and newsletters, also have lots of information and inspiration. If possible, we also recommend attending one of the Money Wise Women Conferences. These conferences are held for both personal and professional finances. There is always a great list of smart, savvy women presenters to provide plenty of inspiration and camaraderie around what can be a very challenging topic. This year the conferences are scheduled in both Washington State and California. (Click here to see the schedule.)

If you, a family member, a friend or colleague could use some financial confidence boosting and some solid information, check out Marcia's work.

In order to lead your life, you gotta shake loose...

One of the keys to being the leader of your life is shaking loose of some larger cultural ideas that limit creativity, freedom and the ability to generate the future you want. Mike Cook at Vitalwork, delves deeply into some of these larger cultural constraints in his book, 'Thrive: Standing On Your Own Two Feet in a Borderless World." In particular, he points out a key issue that when left unexamined, limits our ability to lead our lives.

The issue is an attitude of "entitlement" that developed in employer-employee relationships during the industrial era and is now rapidly being displaced. In Mike's description, entitlement means “I deserve this job, and to be taken care of by my employer.” On a broader level it connects to expectations about "what I should receive" as a result of position, hard work, loyalty, birth rite, etc. To us, this shift is at the heart of the fear that dominates our lives and airwaves in the USA. Whether from loss of a job, sharply reduced financial reserves, loss of perceived political power, or safety from foreign threats, the sense of “I have a right to this” is being significantly threatened.  

This is a difficult and complex cultural shift.  As an antidote, try using Mike's "Engagement Model" - specifically, "be engaged,” with what you want to get done in your lifetime. To engage is to choose to involve yourself in, or commit yourself to something, as opposed to remaining aloof or indifferent. Here are some of the steps:

Practice being present to the way things are and the way they are not, while leaving your opinions and judgments about it aside. (This relates to one of 2130's key Operating Principles -  'Nothing is wrong or broken here.")

Give up trying to fit yourself into what the world seems to want or value at any trendy moment. Start pulling out the authentic you that you have always dreamt of being and start designing yourself from that goal or "Yonder Star." 

You may find it useful to connect with a really good friend. We would define that as one who listens powerfully and tells you the truth versus what you want to hear. You could also go to a coach or a group consisting of folks on a similar path.  It is often much more transformative to hear your thoughts out loud and as they are said back to you from another, truly supportive person's perspective.

To play in "Reality 2.0: The New Rules," let go, reinvent yourself, and get on with your life!  Trust David Whyte's  observation that "the soul would rather fail at its own life than succeed at someone else's."

Lead Your Life: Escape from Cubicle Nation

Pam Slim is the author of the blog and newly published book, "Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur." The title alone is so provocative. If you have ever worked in a big corporation, either you, or co-workers you knew, probably experienced wanting to escape at some point or other. In the spirit of the Lead Your Business, Lead Your Life blog we are writing about this book because it is very empowering. And it's an important read and guidebook, not just for those who dream of escaping and branching out on their own in business. It's also an important read for business owners, both new and advanced. Here's why:

If you recently started a business, or your business is in a young, growing, perhaps even awkward stage, this book has great, tactical information for you. You'll want to review it to see if there are any areas of planning you may have missed or now find you need help with. You will likely find insights.

If you own a business that has been around for awhile and you have employees you also have a culture. Even if your business is not particularly large there are definitely cultural "norms." Just the first chapter of this book is a powerful reminder about elements and dynamics that don't work in organizational cultures. This chapter features a reprint of a powerful "Open Letter" to corporate leaders that vents the frustration that can be felt by employees about so many facets of business life. If you read the book using the lens of insight into, and a reminder of, what it can be like to be an employee - the challenges, and the daydreams -  it could be a very valuable read. Of course, not all employees are frustrated and many are happy to be working for others. But, if you are a business owner or top executive, this book can be a powerful reminder of the challenges of working for someone else, and the fierce desire employees can have for more creativity, autonomy and input. It may spark you to side-step or prevent traps that are just waiting to make your dream business into a living Dilbert cartoon.

Curious? Download the first chapter of the book for free here, or better yet, grab a copy. Pam's writing is extremely readable and she has a lot to offer on her blog and in this book.

Vistage Announces Selection of Dwight Frindt as Best Practice Chair

(April 29, 2009) Veteran Chair Dwight Frindt has been named Best Practice Chair for South Orange County. Dwight will succeed Bill Oyler, who had been BPC of that region for almost eight years. Bill will continue as BPC for North Orange County, Sacramento/Reno and the San Francisco Bay area. "Bill is so loved and respected by the OC Chairs that the only way they would accept his departure was with an equally stellar veteran Chair, and that is Dwight.," Mary Allan, Senior Vice President for the Western Division, said.

A Chair since 1994, Dwight has facilitated two CEO groups and one Key group. He has been the recipient of the Vistage annual Chair Excellence Award 11 times and is consistently ranked as one of the Top 20 Chairs. In 2007 he received the Master Chair award. In addition to Chairing his CEO and Key groups, Dwight is active in leadership development through his company, 2130 Partners.  For 25 years he has been involved in the Hunger Project and has traveled extensively in support of this mission.

"Dwight is an outstanding leader and has been a highly respected Chair in the community," Mary Allan said. "I'm thrilled that Dwight has agreed to accept the role of BPC and make a difference in the lives of our Orange County Chairs - he is a great addition to the ranks of our Best Practice Chairs."

The Debilitating Role of The Bogeyman

We were recently introduced to a great blog called "synthesis" written by Shafeen Charania. (Thanks so much Barbie for the comment on our blog that led us to read synthesis!) In his most recent post, "basest instincts," Shafeen writes about fear at the level of panic. He shines a light on the incredible downside that results from fear driven leadership, whether in society or an organization.  He also reminds us how often the resultant sense of panic can be destructive. 

If we look back at history it seems that over time, society goes from "terror to terror." Whether the "Red Scare" of communism in the 50s, or more recently Al Qaeda, immigration, and the Bear market -- and even this week, Swine Flu. This got us thinking about the mythology of the "bogeyman."  The idea of the bogeyman crosses cultural boundaries and seems to have been around since the Middle Ages.  According to Wikipedia, "The bogeyman has no specific appearance, and conceptions of the monster can vary drastically even from household to household within the same community; in many cases he simply has no set appearance in the mind of a child, but is just an amorphous embodiment of terror." This idea of an "amorphous embodiment of terror" is important. It speaks to the power of the imagination, and what happens when fear takes hold because of an idea or possibility and the mind runs with it. We're not saying there's never anything to be afraid of and we're not recommending reckless disregard for safety or consequences. What we are pointing to is that often the level of fear exceeds facts and reality, and there are significant consequences when fear is "driving the bus." There is no doubt that fear can be a motivator. However, the often ignored question is, 'What outcome did we get as a result of fear driving the process? Did we get what we wanted? What were the costs or consequences?'

In light of our proposed "New Rules" it's easy to see that the costs may even be far greater than Shafeen portrays.  When fear, or the latest version of "the bogeyman" is in charge, the survival part of our brain takes over, (literally, our neurobiological defense mechanisms kick in), and we are limited to fight, flight, freeze, or appease reactions.  That's it. Only four options. Nowhere in that list is the ability to be present, creative, observant, thoughtful or collaborative, and yet these are the very attributes needed to be effective during these challenging times when all the rules have changed and no one knows the new rules yet. Creating and executing from a shared Yonder Star™? Not available to leaders and teams who are driven by fear and focused on survival. 

So all of this begs the question - Where is the bogeyman in your life and your business?  What bed is he hiding under, or, as portrayed in the Pacific Northwest, what green fog is about to get you? 

To dramatically raise your own and your organization's performance, identify and displace "bogeyman thinking" with Vision-Focused Leadership™. Actively collaborate from an orientation of vision versus an orientation of fear and we predict you will experience significant and positive outcomes. 

Leadership: The Danger of 'Tool Seduction'

We suggest you pick up a copy of High Altitude Leadership: What The World's Most Forbidding Peaks Teach Us About Success by Chris Warner and Don Schmincke.  It's got a 5 star rating on Amazon.com and for good reason.  We are especially drawn to the subject this week as one of our Vistage KEY Executive Group members is actually on Mt. Everest.  Warner and Schmincke have extensive climbing experience combined with being esteemed trainers in the leadership field.  They have studied successful and failed behaviors in the Death Zone (above 26,000 ft.) and find many parallels to the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, professionals, CEO's and managers.

The lesson we are focused on today is from the Chapter called "Danger # 3: Tool Seduction."  They describe a variety of tools from structures, procedures and reliance on resumes to constant change programs and make the point that the answer does not lie in the tools. "The problem isn't with the tools but in how you relate to them "(think Reality vs. Reality 2.0).  They observe that Tool Seduction happens because "tools offer hope, and they make people feel that they have the right answer."  Their Survival Tip: "Remember two things: Behavior, not tools, drives results, and adapt or die. "

In the Leadership Choice Point™ model that we teach in our Productive Interactions™ courses, we demonstrate how each moment is the opportunity to choose between correlating your actions with your Yonder Star (vision/goals), your hoped for predictability, and your fears.  To us, Tool Seduction occurs heavily in the hoped for predictability zone and is compounded by fear.  Correlate your behavior with your Yonder Star and you will often find that you are relating to the tools differently or perhaps even leaving some behind.

Leadership Fundamentals: Courage

We have been challenging your thinking and your relationship with reality in our recent posts, especially with Reality 2.0: The New Rules.  So, in the face of the challenge, how do you begin to address The New Rules and function effectively? To us, the most important capacity that will be required of you is courage. We are not, however, talking about a stereotypical picture of courage that might be portrayed in any number of old cowboy or war movies.  We are asking you to consider a very different perspective that looks much more like presence, vulnerability, patience, and active listening.

The phenomenal management consultant, poet, and naturalist, David Whyte, describes this capacity as developing a friendship or fierce relationship with the unknown. He speaks eloquently, and at some length, on the subject in his 2 CD set: Midlife and the Great Unknown: Finding Courage and Clarity Through Poetry, which we urge you to purchase at: http://davidwhyte.stores.yahoo.net/audio.html.

We don't know any better material to support you in developing the kind of courage required to continue to investigate Reality 2.0 or to deal with the ultimate paradox - that there isn't one - reality that is... Of course, there never really was just one reality, even though many of us say “but in the real world” fairly frequently.

One of the Operating Principles that we use in all of our engagements, group work, and in our lives for that matter, says it as: "Explore truths - mine, theirs, and ours." Foundational to this Operating Principle is that "truth" is relative and often widely different for different people. Courageously bringing Exploration Listening to your relationships will give you new openings for action in leading your business and your life.

25 New Dimensions to Challenge Your Thinking

In his article “Moon Shots for Management,” (www.hbr.org, reprint R0902H) Gary Hamel writes eloquently about new dimensions that will be required for leadership as we go forward in what we are calling Reality 2.0. He introduces us to 25 challenges for Building a New Agenda for Management Innovation. These challenges are based on the outcomes of a conference of scholars and business leaders held in May 2008 to lay out a roadmap for reinventing management.

We see these challenges as totally consistent with the theme and conversations to date in this blog and the New Rules discussed last week. Our view, however, is that a critical additional dimension to this project is the shift in mindset that will be required in each of us for these new ideas to be effectively developed and implemented. In fact it is a prerequisite for success.

Ignoring this dimension will most likely result in these opportunities being ignored, resisted, or minimally effective at best. We will be addressing pathways to creating this shift over the coming weeks.

We recommend that you go to http://managementlab.org/future and participate in the survey about these 25 ideas. You will be able to add your voice to the development of the work, rate the progress of your own organization, and identify the most significant barriers you face.

Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to challenge your thinking and grow your leadership.

Leadership: The New Rules

In our last two posts we shared two powerful perspectives on the depth and breadth of the dramatic changes going on in our world. Confronting the unknown range of impact from these changes can be both shocking and freeing. To move you into engagement, we are asserting a set of New Rules as part of what we are calling Reality 2.0^TM and inviting you to try them on. We are not claiming that they are the Truth or an extraordinary economic insight on our part.  Rather, they are a proposition meant to provoke fierce investigation of reality and stimulate creative thinking.  They are intended to bring each of us more present to our world and to call forth far more effective actions on our parts.  Reality 2.0^TM: The New Rules 1) All Bets Are Off 2) All The Rules Have Changed 3) All Contracts Are Invalid/Restructurable 4) It's Never Coming Back 5) No One Knows The New Rules 6) Fear Is Everywhere 7) If I Try To Hold On To Any Of The Way I Think It Was I Will Die 8) Play Ball!

Our clients have begun exploring these rules with each other in our group sessions and are having insightful and  productive conversations.  Several have introduced them in conversations with their teams as a way to break through the veil of fear and pretense that has many people frozen.  Test-drive them yourself and let us all know what you learn.

The Opportunity Within the Economic Crisis

In last week's post we talked about the enormous shifts that are taking place in the cultural paradigm. We want to build on that by looking at how the economic crisis is a symptom of these larger changes and the opportunity that the crisis actually presents. Lynne Twist is an author and activist we have known and admired for a long time. She has written an amazing book about money called, "The Soul of Money," and we highly recommend it.  (To find out more about the book go to http://www.soulofmoney.info/index.html) She has also created a video that speaks so clearly about the economic crisis, the larger paradigm shift, and the opportunity it presents that we want to share it with you here.

Shift Happens...

Margaret Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World, and co-founder of  The Berkana Institute, gave a talk in Seattle last year. To paraphrase her opening remarks, she said, "are you stressed out? Are you overwhelmed? Are you unsure what to do next? Join the club." She spoke about her work around the world with top people at the top of their fields. Her bottomline? Everyone is stressed and uncertain AND she gave this talk before the financial crisis and the havoc that has hit our economy. So what's going on? There's more than just the crises that are making the daily headlines. Take a look at this.

The last thought in this video is, "what does it all mean?"

The answer is there is a shift happening in our cultural paradigm that is even deeper and more profound than a particular political or economic crisis. These crises are most likely symptoms of the deeper layers of change that are currently in motion. 

Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting the work of people who are helping to create a new, positive social paradigm. We will also offer up some ideas for how you can navigate this difficult time with more ease.

Welcome to Lead Your Business, Lead Your Life

Hello! And welcome to the launch of 2130 Partners' "Lead Your Business, Lead Your Life" blog. We have heard from so many clients, colleagues, family members and friends about how challenging life is these days we felt it was time to extend a hand at a different level and pass along what we have learned about leadership and developing leadership skills in your life. One of the first pieces we want to talk about is the notion of "leaders and leadership." We often hear people say something that boils down to "leaders are people with certain titles and leadership comes from those with titles." We don't agree with this. In fact, particularly in these difficult times, we believe everyone has the possibility to be a leader in whatever role they have, in their business and in their life. We believe that developing the qualities of leadership is fundamentally empowering for everyone. So that's what this blog is going to be about.

We look forward to your participation, your feedback and your ideas. And we ask - where would you like to be a leader today?

Dwight and Suzanne Frindt Are Featured Contributors in New Book

(February, 2009) Dwight and Suzanne Frindt are featured contributors in the newly published "Cracking the Personality Code" by Dana and Ellen Borowka of Lighthouse Consulting. Chapter 9, "From Managing to Leading, How to Become a Vision-Focused Leader," is based on the work of 2130 Partners. To learn more about the "Cracking the Personality Code" book... click here.

Dwight Frindt Appears In The Seattle Times

(July 8, 2008) Dwight Frindt appeared in the The Seattle Times featured in their “My First Job” profile. The article shares the story of how he became interested in leadership development in his very first job. To find out more click "read the full article." From there you can access a .pdf of the article [Download]. pdf

Suzanne Frindt Nominated for Women In Business Award

(May 5, 2008) Suzanne Frindt was nominated for a “2008 Women in Business Award” by the Orange County Business Journal. For more information, please click  “read the full article” and you will be able to download the .pdf. [Download] .pdf