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albert klamt
December 2009 
Ready to Play the Integral Way? Next Evolution of Leadership
Albert
Are You Ready to Play the Integral way? The next Evolution of Leadership
I lifted my conclusio from bottom the front of this post, to make my personal view of things as clear as possible for the moment. I know lots. lots more is to say, to learn and to experiment, to be tried and to put into life.
"Both of us, Europeans and Germans, Patricia and I agree that it is a challenge to ignite a new creative fire in playful ways from the "land of poets and thinkers". This is a heavy load: it seems that the terrible shipwreck of the Nazi past has created a psychic contraction. This contraction expresses itself as a great confusion. Ken Wilber describes it as pre/trans fallacy. Germans are afraid of great visions and the possibility of an evolutionary quantum jump because of this chapter of its history. Therefore, I want to make clear that Integral Play-as it is described now in length in this ILR issue-is catalyzing the vertical as much as horizontal complexity and diversity. This is by far neither a childish nor an adolescent endeavor. It can create great evolutionary heat. And it can overcome and liberate historic contraction and fear. It connects dozens and hundreds of fragments of identity in the national and global nexus-beyond conceptual and theoretical exercises.
This is a highly psycho-active process. And a subversive one? Hissing the pirates' flag in an ocean of verbal reference points? Touching politics, business, culture, gender, age, science, medicine, entertainment, identity, personal growth, global issues and the relationship between private and public spheres as they developed over thousands and hundreds of years. Beyond standards of spiritual and political correctness. Beyond platitudes of coexistence. Come together and let's share something. Beyond discourses of all kind. And ready to jump off the cliffs of conceptual references. Integral leadership on the next level will greatly benefit from Integral Play, as shown by Patricia. Far beyond issues of core business, scenario planning and drafting blueprints. It is a most dynamic process at the very cutting edge."
Are You Ready to Play the Integral Way?
The Next Evolution of Leadership
Patricia von Papstein
For Victoria and Julian
Introduction
As conscious leaders, we feel responsible for the life quality on this planet. We invent and design products and services that are sustainable and provide deep support, i.e., they are tools for life assistance. We initiate social responsibility projects. We fund creative industries. We invest in water protection, healthcare prevention and e-learning. We support projects for understanding and forgiveness between sexes, generations, political and cultural belief systems. From our individual perspective, we want to create satisfaction and peace of mind for everybody.
But we seldom utilize our playfulness when there is need to create next level solutions. This is astonishing, because playfulness is the most powerful driver for all species, including mankind, to innovate. The attentive attitude, a state with no obvious or hidden agenda in thought and action, is the most impressing expressions living creatures can produce. We can't even imagine that this is the attitude we need to shape a future worth living for. Perhaps we dream to be enlightened managers (Aburdene, 2005), but we have not cultivated our senses for humor, sensuality and magic in our business routines. Most of the time, we feel ashamed to do things playfully. This is where integral playfulness can offer relief and create a new freedom for thought and action.
Why We Reach Out for Integral Playfulness
Playfulness is the most innovative human expression for creating a high quality of life. In history there has been no lasting improvement of economic wealth and cultural prosperity out of pain and loss. War and environmental catastrophes brought out ways of survival. Times of peace and understanding made us presents like technological breakthroughs and cultural exchange. Play is the catalyst to create progress and is the mother of culture (Huizinga 1971) Through play creations that appeal like a holy ritual, e.g., Olympic games, carnival) societies cultivated their relationships and encounters.
Today, we realize our interdependencies around the globe. We face "chronic" challenges (Martin, 2006). Explosion of population, lack of energy, pollution of food, poverty and crime are not regional issues any longer. In this situation, playfulness can help to transform us. It is a powerful vision to proceed to become integrative players (Gordon and Esbjörn-Hargens, 2007), who initiate our next social metamorphosis: noble playfulness at any time for anybody.
If our minds stay "greed or sacrifice" fixated and if we see only scarcity and betrayal around us, we will produce closed-minded solutions, too rigid to create liberation from rude forms of cooperation. We have to refrain from a thought pattern that traps us in games in an either live or die modus. Human playfulness is suppressed, if we only play head games. Integral playfulness is thinking and acting. Integral playfulness focuses our attention on unexpected opportunities. We need integral playfulness to unblock our behavior when faced with anxiety and insecurity. The current global financial catastrophe shows how cheaters, who don't dare to play with our lives and possessions have paralyzed our decision possibilities. It is not enough to throw cheaters out of the game, again and again. We badly need to ennoble play rules to enter a global level of creative wealth.
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Hi Albert,
You write…
“Both of us, Europeans and Germans, Patricia and I agree that it is a
challenge to ignite a new creative fire in playful ways from the “land
of poets and thinkers”.
I say not just Germans and Europeans. Look at the complex financial instruments the U.S. manufactured that brought the world economy to its’ knees. I’m a poet, of the Hafiz sort, so hopeful I get a playful poets pass. ;o)
Also, the more for less mentality in the U.S. where workers are doing more with less quality and enjoyment. Information overload and dread of the 10th new business process to roll out this year. Combine this with lack of innovation for fun, creative, and smart products and services. A conceptual prison? Definitely. I see it every day. Sustainable? My bet is not hardly.
Patricia writes:
“The attentive attitude, a state with no obvious or hidden
agenda in thought and action, is the most impressing expressions living
creatures can produce. We can’t even imagine that this is the attitude
we need to shape a future worth living for. Perhaps we dream to be
enlightened managers (Aburdene, 2005), but we have not cultivated our
senses for humor, sensuality and magic in our business routines. Most
of the time, we feel ashamed to do things playfully. “
Clearly we see this in the lack of innovation. Again I offer U.S. as a leading example. Sensuality? This more than anything needs engagement. The talking and walking head has forgotten senses are even an option. Sensuality has become an object of thought.
I have a large meeting every 2 weeks where I start off by asking people how they are doing? 9 out of 10 say fine. That’s it. Yawn. The one person who asks me how I am doing gets a Steven Wright response such as “I accidentally stuck my car key in the house door lock last night. Weird, because my house started up.” They chuckle and say I have the strangest meetings. Sets a nice tone for the meeting and then starts the conceptual spin. Playfulness is more than o.k. I have other examples. This is a conditioned ditch that needs a pilot to overcome. Google actually did some playful innovations. Everyone wanted to work there, and innovation? Through the roof.
Patricia writes:
“We have to refrain from a thought pattern that traps us in
games in an either live or die modus. Human playfulness is suppressed,
if we only play head games.”
We have forgotten how to play. I am barely hanging on against the tide. In my view, playfulness includes spaciousness, total intimacy including outrageousness (the playful not hurtful kind). People have to have the space and permission to play (from themselves and their sponsors) I like what Bob Adamson says. What is heaven. Isn’t it spaciousness? Aren’t we all contained in spaciousness? It is already here. It is.
I think we need to teach and learn how to play again.
Seems I am bouncing along very nicely with all this.
Cheers!
Ben
Thanks Ben!
These considerations are what we thought about too.
One word about Germany and Europe (bTW: Patricia lives in Salzburg/Austria right now.)
There are lots of Game Desingers already on the market. Jane Mc Gonagal is one of them. However suceessful already (as TED, Google and other playful environments) they are not adressing:
Deep identity change.
Profound existential enconters.
Creative destruction of blind spots.
Overwhelming passion emerging from the deepest core.
Stratified realities. (Google just starts realizing this)
Male Female dynamics, including all aspects of sexuality
And lots of other dimensions…
When we refer to where we grew up we want to make clear clear a certain impulse which is rooted in the strongest potential of the German Genius (German demons are discussed not more than enough..) of last 250 years. In all areas of life.Right now there is no thing like ONE global identity.
Not even a European one. Seen from us. I blogged dozens of reflections about this relationship between national and global identity.
Symposium: National Culture Revisited
This is the quote from German author Kurt Tucholsky, which German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeyer
picked up and opened his speech with:
“Nothing makes the Germans loose their composure as much as when
trying to find themselves.”
I will work with 3 or 4 people on a special issue for Integral leadership Review about Germany and Europe. Probably to be published in January 2010.
The multiple passions for emotion,instincts, big feelings and sharp, deep thinking , for poetry, science, music on one hand and sports, business, collective action in poltics…rooted in the search for the absolute and Faust like totality (also Schopenhauer DIE WELT ALS WILLE UND VORSTELLUNG)
isnt yet liberated in something new.
Prof Frank Dievernich from Kienbaum Consultancy in Austria is carefully articulating something similar at bottom of the article. I know from other articles he wrote he is sensing it the same way.
We all know that right now no public debate of any kind can free these potentials. We know from the Beta phase of two years how strong the potential of such new form of playing can be.
I love this thread Albert!
This statement especially
“Nothing makes the Germans loose their composure as much as when trying to find themselves.”
Americans as well my friend.
I will definitely check out this article.
I loved Patricia’s article. We are going to be in Salzburg arriving the 24th and leaving the 28th. I wonder if she would have a meal with us? I find this work interesting. I am just not up to speed with the details and practicalities of it like the both of you. Would like to hear more…
Vielen Dank!
Ben
Ben,
just drop me an email :
albertklamt@aol.com">albertklamt@aol.com
with your contact details. I will connect you directly with Patricia.
prego:):)
Albert
And:
Please provide me with some publications, articles or books where American identity is considered. In its light and genius as much as in shadow and demon.
Muchos gracias in advance:):)
Albert
Hallo Albert!
Please let me consider American publications and books where American identify is highly considered. The reason I say this is that while I live and work in American community and corporations, I speak from direct experience of those environments. So, to reference publications to you, I want to make sure I am accurate in what I send.
I accept this as a serious mission and will provide my best response. In the email I sent you, will you please highlight any special areas of interest? This way I can take my readings and research and focus in on what meets your interest.
Prost!
Ben
Hello Ben,
the strata of identities in all of us - as persons and/or member of social entities in city, community, culture and any other constellation -including the national roots) is seldom inspected. I see right now Spiral Dynamics Integral as essential flagship model in THIS way.
See also
Global Values Update 2009
from Alan Tonkin South Africa.
The insights and perceptions of natives in each country are highly important for me. Especially when put into context and perspectives of some hundred years. And most fascinating too can be when seen from outside.
Roger Cohen from International Tribune who lived and worked some time in Berlin, Paulo Coelho and lots of others did it already with brilliant intuition.
Wolfgang Blau, a German journalist, now living in San Francisco did a TV project and book with the title:
German Dream
artists and politicians about the importance of
inspiring societal visions and their most courageous
new dreams for Germany.
With Hafsat Abiola, Simon Anholt, Richard Barrett,
Anne Cameron, Paulo Coelho, Jean-Michel
Cousteau, Romeo Dallaire, Helena Hanuljakova,
Monika Henzinger, Joi Ito, Eddie Izzard,
Wei Jingsheng, Garry Kasparov, Ute Lemper,
Hunter Lovins, Wangari, Maathai, Henning Mankell,
William McDonough, Viggo Mortensen, Avi Primor,
Clotaire Rapaille, Jeremy Rifkin, Mary Robinson,
Vandana Shiva, Gerfried Stocker, Galsan Tschinag,
Buket Uzuner, Craig Venter, Muhammad Yunus,
Hans Zimmer.
The beauty, the power and truth of Integral Global Play ( with a REAL existential punching power!)is to crystallize virtually ALL facettes of horizontal diversity and vertical complexity.
I agree with Jane Mc Gonigal that in 2030 the first Nobel prizes will be given for research and/or devlopment of Play in field of anthropology, social sciences, culture and society.
I love this in Patricias article:
“This rebellious component, which is embedded in playing, is what I love
to clear from the path. We need playfulness in its function of a Trojan
horse. At first sight it seems to be unoffending. Free play operates as
a cocoon to “dream yourself away”. But under the surface playfulness
has this powerful impact of being subversive. It can decode, fake and
switch with no limitation of time and hierarchy. Playfulness is the
most elaborate form of cultural hacking (Gunkel, 2001). This dimension
of play is cultivated by integral playfulness, the playfulness reaching
out beyond ego.”
While I always loved to do sports, playing piano and theater my life was long time bound to duty, beeing responsible for my children, playing roles which were about caring for others.
Now I feel including myself risking to dive into new identity exploration will be exactly what Patricia is intending. Liberating deepest passions and yearning.
And I am sensing what Gwen Gordon and Sean Hargens write in general about Integral PLay. Its a complete new dimension of playing and gaming.
You refer to this:
http://www.gwengordonplay.com/pdf/Gordon_Play_Final.pdf
Yes.
The key elements of Patricias approach to Integral Play realize what the concept of Godon/Hargens promises.
And I agree with your picking up the hacking idea.):)Few have seen and dicovered it up to now. Its dangerous and wild too:)Not for the fainthearted:)
April 27th:
I heard about quite an agressive response from Prof. Manfred kets de Vries about the article. This is a good sign in my eyes:):)as nearly all established leadership academies , schools and approaches worldwide lack this element and dimensnional potential.
Even Elite insitutes like InnSEAD, Harvard or St. Gallen. Take any others.
As Patricia writes:
“This rebellious component, which is embedded in playing, is what I love
to clear from the path. We need playfulness in its function of a Trojan
horse. At first sight it seems to be unoffending. Free play operates as
a cocoon to “dream yourself away”. But under the surface playfulness
has this powerful impact of being subversive. It can decode, fake and
switch with no limitation of time and hierarchy. Playfulness is the
most elaborate form of cultural hacking (Gunkel, 2001). This dimension
of play is cultivated by integral playfulness, the playfulness reaching
out beyond ego.”
Deep play is identity changing.