Holding. Requisite for the future of leadership
The great Kenny Rogers knew the deal. We have to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away….
Our culture has for so long emphasised vision and assertiveness. The dominant leader. The strong man. The action hero.
We have neglected the act of holding. Intentionality. Stewardship. Patience. Tuning into Kairos time. Being still. Attenuating to the emergent. Being comfortable right on the edge of the unknown. Living, breathing deeply into the mystery.
Parenting is an apprenticeship in the art of holding. To know the right time to bring a child to a new skill, to support an ecology for flourishing.
In times of great unravelling, our reflex is to rush to the solution. To react from within the field of the problem.
Wisdom would teach us that what is required is a pause. To hold our centre as the world around us crumbles. To breathe, sense, explore, understand the whole.
This is a learned skill against the conditioning of our culture.
Perhaps, in our demanded isolation, we might explore the contours of how to hold.
The ability to both hold and act requisite for the future of leadership.
April 1st 2020
Photo taken April 1st, 2020
