There is a deep desire in each of us to contribute to the world in some way, to offer our unique gifts, passion, wisdom, and vision for what's possible with a desire to make a meaningful difference, be it in large or small arenas. This expansive definition of leadership becomes an invitation to each of us to respond to the deeper longing in our soul and lead from the inspiration present there.

We are in a defining moment in history. Our world is facing enormous and unprecedented challenges in every sphere of life and all around us we are faced with evidence of the limitations of our way of living on this planet. An old order is falling away and something, we don't yet know what, is emerging to take its place.

What emerges depends on us.  And so we are each being asked to step up and contribute in some way that's right for us.  We're talking about leadership here and it doesn't matters whether you're called to lead in big or small ways, on a global scale or very close to home. What matters is that you care deeply about something and that you carry within you a vision of new possibilities.

Especially in these times of uncertainty and tumultuous change, we are each being called to the role of leadership, whether it be through:

• Creating alternative possibilities for the organizations and communities in which we participate
• Developing and facilitating transformative processes that foster greater consciousness, emotional awareness, and interpersonal competency
• Connecting people and systems through creative alliances and collaborations
• Responding to an unmet need in the world by taking personal action, designing and implementing a project or program, and/or creating an organization
• Generating new ideas and paradigms and ushering them into the larger culture
• Leading our own lives and that of our families in new directions.

Yet this kind of leadership will settle for nothing less than you bringing your entire self to the journey – the physical wisdom of your embodied self, the mysterious depth inherent in your emotional terrain, the interconnected self of mind and community, and your ineffable spirit that connects you back to the wellspring of life itself.

Using the natural world as both teacher and mirror and drawing on an ancient model of wisdom known as the Four Shields, you will have the opportunity to access the deep wisdom that arises from the interplay of body, psyche, mind and spirit. Throughout history, humans in cultures around the world have acknowledged the fundamental importance of these four aspects of being. We call them the Four Shields. A leader grounded in their authentic self will possess a style of leadership that reflects a balanced integration of these four shields.

However, we live in a culture that strongly prefers some styles of leadership over others. In other words, we culturally give greater value to some Shields of leadership while undervaluing other Shields. In addition, we often have one or two Shields we naturally default to. How we lead naturally tends to reflect these imbalances. As a result, the impact we can make through our leadership can be constrained, even diminished. And we can get worn out in the process.

Using the Four Shields as our guiding model, we can begin to bring all of who we are to our leadership. In doing so, we restore balance to who we are and to how we lead. Our potential impact as a leader increases dramatically.

Additional background material

The philosophical framework informing this retreat is detailed in the book The Four Shields: The Initiatory Seasons of Human Nature. The authors, Steven Foster and Meredith Little, also co-founded the School of Lost Borders in Big Pine, California. The book can be purchased directly from the Lost Border Press website.