A colleague asked me today what my reflections are two years after releasing the book Invite Change. Lessons for 2020 The Year of No Return. His curiosity was in response to my noticing the odd rhythm and pace of life right now, which is so often difficult to explain, orient, or see as a logical flow. I shared that the idea of a “year of no return” had surfaced for me in 2020 after noticing the cracks in our social fabric revealed by the pandemic. Those cracks were made more acute by our leaders nearly everywhere struggling and, for many, failing to meet the public health crises with a steady hand, clear-eyed thinking, a social mindset, and a capacity for both compassion and firm direction. Those cracks from the pandemic are today evident in nearly every social system we might consider – education, economics, science, the rule of law, journalism – and the responsibility of leadership now carries a multiplicity of domains that no one person can master alone.

How far do we let the tension stretch before recognizing that the future is already here, demanding our attention to invite change? I think a lot about how to evolve from competition to collaboration and from being a consumer of society to restoring our civil citizenship that exercises judgment and accepts responsibility to generate a world that works for all. For those fascinated by history, you know that our human family has traversed the rise and fall of civilizations over 4,000 years. Perhaps you find this a hopeful message, as I intend. Yet, on the other hand, some see the thought of what is familiar is comfort and anything unfamiliar so uncomfortable that it warrants violent rejection. I struggle to reconcile this paradox with my heart, which yearns for belonging, grace, and love. The attention we give to our solar system and galaxies that stretch beyond are examples of human ingenuity that I believe is a source of good when we believe and accept our part in evolution.

I choose to contribute to human development as my livelihood because I believe in humans' innate creativity and wholeness.

While I am often disappointed to see ignorance, which is a word by the way that has “ignore” at the root, that also inspires me to double down on using my voice, presence, and engagement to evoke awareness and facilitate a mindset shift.

I want to share a few TED talks that recently inspired me about regenerating a healthy climate – on the planet and in our workplaces.

• How to Find Joy in Climate Action by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.
• Why Being Respectful to Your Co-Workers is Good for Business by Christine Porath.

Both leaders are pragmatic, clear, direct, and loving, demonstrating how important it is to find our harmony with yin and yang, masculine and feminine traits of being human, and the essential blend of unity required to generate different solutions. Different solutions are necessary because today we face a cascade of crises, also described as the Global Polycrises. Please spend some time on this site exploring. The wisdom of many who perceive new patterns in our systems, human behavior, and energy suggests what the story of the ages over 4,000 years reflects. Evolution is happening, and we all must learn to see this more clearly and consistently. How do we do that?

Archetypes and seeing through an archetypal eye are the psychological version of the human genome. Once thought of as coveted ancient wisdom, learning to see through an archetypal eye can be learned and sustained as a resource to evoke awareness continually and, therefore, choices for how to respond rather than react to uncertainty and change. We are honored to have our global leader, Dr. Laurence Hillman join the Vanguard Conversation Series on September 20. He is the co-founder of Archetypes at Work, and he will share this remarkable new toolset and mindset in the context of “Civility.” Adopting an archetypal eye and mindset offers a path that can transcend othering in our human relating, so we learn how to generate a world that respects the individual and contributes to our human collective in ways that work for all, including the planet and all other life forms.

Have a great month everyone and keep loving your life’s work!