Center for Purposeful Leadership

Purpose Shared: Resignation to inspiration!

I am jazzed! I just got off Zoom with a new action team of 12. Different locations, different reasons for participating, a common mandate to be revealed. I had 1-1/2 hours to create a container where they could come together and find commonality, in an environment of mutual trust and respect.

 

This team was one of six formed at the end of an in-person 1-1/2 day retreat, which was amazing: we created resonance in the midst of dissonance. Moved from resignation to inspiration. When people are inspired, they will step up, no matter how busy they are. 

 
The convening took kit worked! 

The secret sauce for any meeting: the agenda doesn’t go to outcome first; you design to quiet the mind and allow people to shift to the present moment to get connected.

 

More secret sauce: a process that focuses on the heart of the matter and gets the purpose and agreements clear, so that people can pay attention and participate fully.

 

(And, a lot more ideas and learnings to share in another post...)

 

 

Outcomes were achieved! Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. Common goals and committed action came easily and were the natural outcome of a designed essential conversation.

 

Whether you are leading a virtual collaboration or a weekly team meeting, an Art of Convening Training adds a powerful skill set to any facilitation or gathering. Learn the secret sauce of great meetings. We would love to work with you!

 

Craig Neal

Purpose Shared: 3 Leaders Sharing Purpose in Action

We are taking a moment to revisit and celebrate some of the purposeful work expressed in these blog pages recently. View videos with Bob and Ren Wei and read a passionate essay from Cindy Kent. Next week, we'll have more. Enjoy!

        

Report from the Field: Convening and Flushing Your Toilet, Bob Nordquist, Metropolitan Council Environment Services

Purpose Shared: "Making Happy" -Cindy Kent, 3M

Purpose Shared: A Young Man With a “Big Heart for Society and the World”, Ren Wei

Purpose Shared: Sharing Your Purpose by Finding Your Passion

Serving the "Next Generation Human": I recently had the privilege of working with Roger Kenneth Marsh as he co-led the series Road to Renewal in Houston, Texas. Today we’re going to talk about how he leads people through "The Passion Test" as a path for discovering their purpose. But more than that, The Passion Test is a framework for what Roger sees as emerging: the "Next Generation" human. Roger has a rich background as a formally trained engineer, businessman, leadership and life coach (bio below). Join us for a fascinating leadership conversation.

Roger Kenneth Marsh is a formally trained engineer, businessman, leadership and life coach. He has a degree in engineering, an MBA, is a certified Leadership and Life Coach, a Certified HeartMath® Trainer, a Certified Passion Test® Facilitator, and is a Senior Teacher of Integral Transformative Practice (ITP) emanating from the Esalen Institute. Through his company Beyond Belief he offers Organizational Development Consulting that includes Leadership Development and Coaching, and The HeartMath Resilience Advantage workshop and training.

Website: NexGen Human
Author, NexGen Human: A Modern Age Path to Fulfillment 

The Passion Test: The Effortless Path to Discovering Your Life Purpose, Janet Attwood and Chris Attwood 

 

Craig on tough situations when convening/hosting a meeting!

During a recent Art of Convening Training, some potent questions about convening skill and strategy were asked. In this video, Craig addresses some of them. (some are listed below)

<•> When leading a work meeting, if there is an argument or discussion that has not been resolved, should we allow time for further discussion to have a harvest or find inspiration or follow the agreed upon timeline?

<•> What if I’m not leading/hosting/convening? (I'm just a participant)

<•> When leading a work meeting or conference, if participants start arguing or loudly disagreeing, what shall I do?  How do I keep inner calm and access my true power?

<•> Would you share some examples of how to respond when people challenge you during your convening?

Let us know your thoughts!

Purpose Shared: A Young Man With a “Big Heart for Society and the World”

Ren Wei is a family man, OD consultant and convener sharing his purpose on a global level. I have the good fortune to work closely with Ren Wei, along with five of his fellow Chinese colleagues, in the current Art of Convening training. This brief yet inspirational interview captures the commitment he has for being an active catalyst for societal and global transformation.

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #Engagement

2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening                           

Craig Neal @ Fusion 2.0 Conference: Leading a Learning Lab

Exciting news!

Craig Neal will be leading a Learning Lab @ the Fusion 2.0 Conference

The Art of Purposeful Leadership: The Future Leader
Wednesday
11/7/2018, 11:20 a.m.-12:35 p.m.

Get registered to join him! group rates are now available. Bring your teams. For the best rate, register now while the preview rate is still in effect. 

Purpose Shared: "Making Happy" -Cindy Kent

Exciting new "Purpose Shared" series from Center for Purposeful Leadership

Subscribe to this blog now to get your 2x/week spark of purpose 

 

Cindy Kent was the lead Conversation Starter at our 20th Anniversary Conference in 2016. As a thought and purposeful leader, her values are central to all she does and how she does it. 

 

Making Happy

In nearly five decades of life, and too-many-experiences-to-count later, I have come to realize how misguided the notion of finding happiness is. You don’t really find happy, in truth, we make happy. Finding Happy is an ill-conceived notion, that inherently implies that happiness is some illusive by-product of luck or fortune or even, some edenic destination—a wistful, ideologue of a reward at the end of one’s diligent pursuit. Instead, I believe, we make happy—one decision, one choice, at a time.

Work/Life Expo was an impactful day

"Creating a New Story for Work/Life: No More 'Business as Usual'"

Vivian Jenkins Nelsen and I really enjoyed participating in a fantastic day of visionary and practical stories and learning experiences at the 2017 Work/Life Expo. Our workshop topic was:

"Be a Purposeful Agent of Change in Your Organization: E.Q. for Leaders". We covered a rich list of topics from "The Business Case for Trust," one of Vivian's favorite subjects to the ROI of Purpose and Engagement for powerful collaboration. Contact us if you'd like to know more!

"At the heart of the matter is purpose. Recent research shows that a sense of purpose, not a specific set of characteristics, is the key to successful leadership. How do purpose and emotional intelligence work together? How do you find or align your purpose with your leadership? How can this transform your leadership and your team or organization? Thriving cultures create higher ROI and engaged people. Engagement is about linking life's purpose with work that matters. Engaged people are happier, more alive, productive and collaborative. Having a clear purpose is the key to successful leadership and thriving organizations."

Report from the Field: Dave Rapaport, Aveda Corporation

Welcome back! This is the second podcast in our new series: Report from the Field, where we focus on creating purpose in your life and work, and how convening with purpose creates the outcomes you want! Each podcast we invite an inspirational professional to share their experience with convening and purpose within their lives. 

Today CPL welcome's Dave Rapaport, Vice President of Earth and Community Care, Aveda Corporation. 

Recently, CPL worked with Dave and his team to develop a series of Earth Month meetings with the leadership at Aveda. Today we will hear Dave’s story about how he utilized convening practices to create collaborative outcomes. Thank you Dave, for your time and commitment to organizational excellence at Aveda! Check out the interview below or click the picture!

Click here to watch the interview [5:00 minutes]

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #Engagement

2017 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening                                         

 

 

Report from the Field: Convening and Flushing Your Toilet

Welcome! This is the first in a new series on creating purpose in your life and work and how leaders convening with purpose create the outcomes you want. Let's get to it..

Bet you never thought about what happens when you flush the toilet or watch the water go down your sink. Bob Nordquist not only cares, but has created a unique workshop for customer engagement in a 3.5 million population system. Watch Bob tell his story about how he implemented a recent successful workshop using convening skills, focused on purpose.

In this segment, Craig Neal interviews Bob Nordquist, Industrial Waste and Pollution Prevention Manager at Environmental Services in the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities, and Art of Convening graduate.

Click here to watch video [6:39 minutes]

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement