
This past week I had the opportunity to sit with several groups that were thinking and processing about leadership and life. They were powerful conversations!
As I reflected on each of them and the individuals involved, it occurred to me that part of the power of those experiences was because of the unique interplay of who was in the room. For example, in one of the groups we were brainstorming various ways to handle challenges from members of our teams. We came up with a really incredible list with lots of exceptional ideas and approaches. There were certainly way more (and better!) ideas than I could have come up with on my own, or even if I had been brainstorming with just one other member of the group at a time. In other words, the real power of the creativity was a result of the collective Synergy we created as a group.
It reminded me of a quote I recently encountered:
“…a stream of meaning flowing among and through us and between us. This will make possible a flow of meaning in the whole group, out of which may emerge some new understandings. It is something new, which may not have been in the starting point at all. It’s something creative. And this shared meaning…holds people and societies together…”
~ David Bohn, author of On Dialogue
Sometimes I think I get stuck in the trap of thinking that the best or most creative ideas and solutions will come from me, and I forget there is a whole other realm of learning and growth and creativity that can emerge when I am willing to give myself to the Synergy of collaborating with others. But when I am willing to open myself up with a little vulnerability and enter into dialogue with others that is based on mutual trust and a desire for the overall well-being of the whole - that's when the magic of Synergy actually gets unleashed!
So, what are you working on right now that has mainly been limited to just your own thinking and processing? Who could you invite into some dialogue around that and what do you think might be discovered from that openness and curiosity?
Here's to looking for some spaces of real Synergy this week!
Be Well,
Stephen
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