Collaborative Leadership: Courage & Vulnerability

Collaborative Leadership:

• is a dance between leading and following
• it's about balancing creativity and discipline
• it draws on our competence and character, and
• we're working with the constant tension between the need to stay with the inquiry and deliver on outcome(s)

Collaborative Leaders create spaces where discourse of ideas can happen safely. All the voices are heard and regularly it gets "messy". But it's always a joy to see how out of the "messy", gems of ideas come to the surface and solutions  emerge, together.   

This takes effort and intentionality. It's not easy. 

As a facilitator of such spaces, often I struggle - mostly "in" myself.
Am I good enough? Will I be able to support this group as they need? And so on...

Recently I arrived in the regions the day before facilitating an important hui, after an early start a bit tired and carrying the weight of all of it on my shoulders. I met some of the team and we set up for the morning. Then, I went to my unit to rest and prepare. 

​I took time to review the process I had developed (it works!) and I showed up.

All this takes Courage and a readiness to embrace Vulnerability. 

Vulnerability is not winning or losing. It's having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it's our greatest measure of courage.
Brenē Brown

The first thing I heard was: "You look so different!" Clearly something in me had shifted.

The mind is the first Chakra - Muladhara Chakra. In " The Language of Yin", my yoga teacher Gabrielle Harris reminds us of the following affirmations for this chakra:

• I am safe. I am home.
• I have enough.
• Abundance flows through me.
• My needs are met.
• The universe provides for me.
• I am enough.
• I am anchored and connected to the earth.

And she offers these questions for the first Chakra:

• How do I nurture myself?
• Do I view the world as a dangerous or safe place?
• Do I feel a sense of belonging in my body and in this life?
• Who gives me stability and helps me to remain grounded​

We gathered, it got a bit messy and this reminded me to keep inquiring and listening. 

The mana, generosity and wisdom was abundant...I have the privilege to work with some exceptional humans - I am in awe of their abilities and hearts of service.

​They helped me and each other and the gems of ideas flowed and as I arrived at the airport after a long 48 hours, I picked up a text that said "lovely to share your mauri" 😀