Highlights: 2009 Conscious Capitalism Conference

What I apreciate very much is Jean Houstons complex simultaneous sense of the inner and outer worlds, the personal and collective change. The CCC had a specific focus. The new upcoming Kosmos Journal will show how collective intention is AS IMPORTANT. The work of James Quilligan, whos approach with the global commons was already presented at KJ is a vey important one.

I am adding here a personal feedback from Cindy who is very clear what the focus on THIS event was. I like it very much. Its sharp, specific and from a woman who contributes herself in such unsual ways. It was posted first at London Integral Circle where we had this summer a great comprehensive debate about individual and collective change:

Dear Friends,
There were 2 conferences back to back at The Crossings in Austin, TX.
The Integral Leadership in Action 4 event; and the Catalyzing Conscious
Capitalism event (not the same as the one Jeff blogged about in
Boston…although Jeff was a coordinator for the Austin one).

Both were great.

My biggest takeaway from the Catalyzing Conscious Capitalism (C3) event was a
sense of relief. I have been involved in the Spirit at Work movement for over
10 years. That conference and that movement tended to attract mostly Spiral
Dynamics “Green” and mostly consultants, coaches, and others who were not
running large or even mid size businesses. What I noticed over the last decade
was that there were various conferences speaking “at” business. Some from
Blue/Amber (like the Faith at Work groups), some from Green (Bioneers; Spirit at
Work; etc.) but few with a strong healthy LOVE of ORANGE BUSINESS. There was a
subtext that “business is bad and needs to be fixed”. This of course is not a
recipe for attracting a lot of people who actually run businesses and who have
healthy Orange.

I think the crash we have been experiencing in the world economy helps some of
us appreciate the healthy Orange elements of our society (those with healthy
Blue subtext - unlike the risk crazy mortgage brokers who really were operating
at Red more than Orange IMO) who keep things moving for all of us. And Green
values have been around long enough to be working their way into Blue Meme
structures (like evangelical churches who want to be good stewards of the
earth), and Orange structures who get it that the consumer wants healthier food
etc., and a new form of Green is emerging, IMO, which is Agentic (as opposed to
passive or whiney) with a healthy Orange subtext.

I saw at this C3 event a powerful AGENTIC Orange/Green combo with what I believe
is awakening Yellow. Tons of “testosterone” - even in the women present - a
hard charging, can-do theme that really taps the American psyche deeply. It was
DELICIOUS. I am Orange heavy myself so I revel in that…and my Myers Briggs T
and my tendency to have plenty of Red kick-ass myself was loving it all.

There was some discomfort among a couple of attendees who I would call more
traditionally Green. There was not a lot of “spirituality” in the overt
conversation - but plenty of it in the essence of what was happening. The more
traditional Green wanted mor e overt spiritual conversation. The Agentic
ORANGE/green/Yellow-emerging crowd felt the little we had was too much. The
woo-woo allergy is strong in this crowd - and not unjustified based on my years
with Spirit at Work.

What made me so happy was this was a BUSINESS TO BUSINESS conversation. Not an
academic conference. Not a consultants/coaches/spiritual teachers conference.
This was CEOs talking to CEOs about their passionate commitment to making the
world a better place.

It was deeply exciting to me. When Business wants to OWN IT and DO IT - well
watch out. There are few more powerful engines in the world. I was happy to
keep mostly quiet as a consultant myself and let Business talk to Business.
They need to talk and hear each other. They don't need to hear me right now. I
was privileged to be in the room. And I am feeling tremendous hope for the
future as a result of the 3 days I was privileged to be present for…

I will end with saying that John Mackey of Whole Foods is now a personal hero of
mine. He may not be perfect. But he is sharp as hell. And I love his analysis
of the situation we are in (as businesses) and his vision of the future. He is
a philosopher CEO - and has the spine and drive to make a difference. Such
people are often irritating. But I think he's a gift to the planet.

I will probably type up more notes later both on this conference and ILIA4.
I've been gone for 10 days and need some down time, and time to catch up on
bills, mail, etc. So hopefully you will forgive me if I end here.
love to all of you
Cindy