Dear Fellow Thought Leaders in Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's "OD" Community,

Heartfelt greetings.

How our world has changed since Bill invited us to be guest resources for the November OD sessions on the 20th and 21st!  In many ways, what we have to share is ever more relevant as we face the myriad opportunities, challenges, dangers, and possibilities of leading in these high-stakes and turbulent times. In the light of this, we write to offer some links/readings/resources to inform and inspire your reflections in preparation for those upcoming sessions.
 
Our work with thousands of leaders in hundreds of organizations around the globe has focused on themes of change resilience, transformational leadership, collective wisdom and intelligence for breakthroughs in innovation, developing healthy high-performing organizations, and bringing a deeper wisdom to work and to the communities of stakeholders that we serve.  The enduring benefits of this work have been well documented and offer a compelling glimpse of potentials for leaders seeking to recreate themselves and their organizations in these changing times.
 
To help you get the most from our explorations together, we invite you to begin with a "Thought Piece" on Exploring The Mind Fitness Frontier posted online and then take some time to explore the other writings, links, and websites, and materials posted on our website (www.wisdomatwork.com). These all serve to "expand your view" that you as a transformational leader can bring to your life-work-relationships.
 
If you are interested, you are welcome to explore some of the case studies with stories and data regarding the impacts of our work that are also posted on our website.  While here, you can also find an extensive bio for us. 
 
We have also posted a very relevant and compelling article by Vimala Thakar that has deeply affirmed and inspired our work. It speaks powerfully to the seamless integration of the innerwork we do on ourselves and the work we do in the world.  You can find this article online.
 
As you read and reflect we encourage you to:
- be mindful of which ideas resonate most deeply for you - both personally and in your role as a leader;
- envision how different your own life-work-and-relationships would be if you were to weave some of these methods and perspectives into the fabric of your life;
- be mindful also of the most compelling questions that arise in your mind as you read this material, and keep a list of those questions. The following quotes offer a glimpse of some of the directions we may explore together:
 
"Without a global revolution in the sphere of human consciousness, nothing will change for the better in the sphere of our being as humans, and the catastrophe towards which this world is headed - be it ecological, social, demographic or a general breakdown of civilization - will be unavoidable. . . The salvation of this human world lies nowhere else than in the human heart, in the human power to reflect, in human meekness and in human responsibility."
-- Vaclav Havel, President of Czech Republic in his historic address to the U.S. Congress
 
"The greatest thing, then, in all education, is to make the nervous system our ally, instead of our enemy."
-- William James, one of the fathers of modern psychology
 
"Here is the very heart and soul of the matter of leadership:  If you look to lead, invest at least 40% of your time managing yourself - your ethics, character, principle, purpose, motivation, and conduct.  Invest at least 30% managing those with authority over you, and 15% managing your peers.  Use the remainder to induce those you "work for" to understand and practice the theory. I use the terms "work for" advisedly, for if you don't understand that you should be working for your mislabeled "subordinates" you haven't understood anything.  Lead yourself, lead your superiors, lead your peers, and free your people to do the same. All else is trivial."
Dee Hock, founder of the VISA card industry
 
"A human being is part of the whole called by us the Universe. We experiences ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest --a kind of optical delusion of consciousness.  This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures, and the whole of nature in its beauty... The world we have made as a result of the level of the thinking we have done thus far creates problems that we cannot solve at the same level (of consciousness) at which we have created them . . .We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humankind is to survive."
-- Albert Einstein
 
"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power.  We have guided missiles and misguided men.  Our hope for creative living lies in our ability to reestablish the spiritual needs of our lives in personal character and social justice. Without this spiritual and moral reawakening we shall destroy ourselves in the misuse of our own instruments."
--Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
 
"The more you listen, the more you will hear. The more you hear, the more and more deeply you will understand!"
- Dilgo Kyentze
 
"When we seek for connection, we restore the world to wholeness.  Our seemingly separate lives become meaningful as we discover how truly necessary we are to each other."
-- Margaret Wheatley 
 

May your learnings awaken wisdom to inspire your life-work. We look forward to exploring possibilities, practices, and insights with you soon,
Joel & Michelle Levey