Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Three Centers of Wisdom in Leadership
Three centers of wisdom. Intellectual, emotional, physical. Head, heart, body.
In the early 1900s, George Gurdjieff, talked about humans being "three-brained" beings and promoted the idea that human development required work on all three centers. Gurdjieff introduced his 4th Way work as an advancement over eastern wisdom traditions that emphasized development of one center over others -- the body (the way of the fakir), the emotions (the way of the monk), or the mind (the way of the yogi).
Today, Dr. Candace Pert --known for her discovery of the opiate receptor and research on endorphins and peptides -- continues to document the biochemical basis for how the "bodymind" functions as an interdependent network of communication across multiple centers. As Dr. Pert likes to say in speeches, she is documenting the science behind the ancient chakra system, which distinguishes seven centers of intelligence.
For leadership work, however, let's stick to the three centers of head, heart, and body.
In each of us, there's a palpable quality that signals which center is home base, where we look first for answers, how we respond to challenges and opportunities, and the impression we typically make on others. Are we oriented to data and theories (head)? Are we more oriented toward feelings and relationships (heart)? Or are we more oriented toward instinct and action (body)? And, as important, what center are we neglecting?
If we don't know, everyone around us certainly does! For leaders it's important to cultivate all three centers and not get stuck in any one habit of paying attention or interacting with others.
The Enneagram is a powerful personality system that illuminates the patterns of all three centers and offers practical ways to develop greater capacity in each center.
As a coach, I prefer the developmental aspect of the Enneagram to the more strictly descriptive personality typing systems, which tend to contribute to "stuck" states ("I'm an intuitive feeler, you can't expect me to deal with data" or "I'm an introvert, please don't expect me to speak up in meetings").
If you are interested in exploring more on the Enneagram, I recommend The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Riso and Russ Hudson (it's a brilliant reference that stands the test of time). If you want an easier (more fun) way to start, try The Enneagram Made Easy by Renee Barron and Elizabeth Wagele.
For leaders who are interested in understanding their style, I recommend the Sikora Strategy Preference Indicator instrument for assessing Enneagram type because the SPI provides concise language that busy executives appreciate. Also, the Sikora report you get offers explicit leadership pointers and implications, including:
I've had interest among my clients (who hail from all parts of the country) and am in the process of putting a program together for 2008.
In the early 1900s, George Gurdjieff, talked about humans being "three-brained" beings and promoted the idea that human development required work on all three centers. Gurdjieff introduced his 4th Way work as an advancement over eastern wisdom traditions that emphasized development of one center over others -- the body (the way of the fakir), the emotions (the way of the monk), or the mind (the way of the yogi).
Today, Dr. Candace Pert --known for her discovery of the opiate receptor and research on endorphins and peptides -- continues to document the biochemical basis for how the "bodymind" functions as an interdependent network of communication across multiple centers. As Dr. Pert likes to say in speeches, she is documenting the science behind the ancient chakra system, which distinguishes seven centers of intelligence.
For leadership work, however, let's stick to the three centers of head, heart, and body.
In each of us, there's a palpable quality that signals which center is home base, where we look first for answers, how we respond to challenges and opportunities, and the impression we typically make on others. Are we oriented to data and theories (head)? Are we more oriented toward feelings and relationships (heart)? Or are we more oriented toward instinct and action (body)? And, as important, what center are we neglecting?
If we don't know, everyone around us certainly does! For leaders it's important to cultivate all three centers and not get stuck in any one habit of paying attention or interacting with others.
The Enneagram is a powerful personality system that illuminates the patterns of all three centers and offers practical ways to develop greater capacity in each center.
As a coach, I prefer the developmental aspect of the Enneagram to the more strictly descriptive personality typing systems, which tend to contribute to "stuck" states ("I'm an intuitive feeler, you can't expect me to deal with data" or "I'm an introvert, please don't expect me to speak up in meetings").
If you are interested in exploring more on the Enneagram, I recommend The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Riso and Russ Hudson (it's a brilliant reference that stands the test of time). If you want an easier (more fun) way to start, try The Enneagram Made Easy by Renee Barron and Elizabeth Wagele.
For leaders who are interested in understanding their style, I recommend the Sikora Strategy Preference Indicator instrument for assessing Enneagram type because the SPI provides concise language that busy executives appreciate. Also, the Sikora report you get offers explicit leadership pointers and implications, including:
- Map of Strengths in all Nine Types
- Description of Primary Type and Primary Anxiety
- Communication Style
- Leadership Style
- Derailers
- Efficient Use of Other Strategies
- Awareness to Action Model
- How Change Really Happens
I've had interest among my clients (who hail from all parts of the country) and am in the process of putting a program together for 2008.
# posted by Cindy Marteney @ 7:38 PM 
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