We are delighted to welcome you to The Art of Convening Training. As the training is getting started, we wanted to let you know that the course has five parts: 1. Homework & journaling 2. Reading blog posts 3. Zoom sessions 4. Partner Calls 5. Case Study presentations The course... Continue reading

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/938610057 One tap mobile +16465588656,,938610057# US (New York) +16699006833,,938610057# US (San Jose) Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 938 610 057 Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adQpFMxAGN Continue reading

We have moved our blogging to a new site! please visit and subscribe to get regular updates of Purposeful Leadership: https://centerforpurposefulleadership.com/blog/ Continue reading

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

by Patricia Neal Two Mandela Speeches That Made History Today is my birthday! I am honored to share it with many amazing people, not the least of whom is Nelson Mandela. I speak in the present tense because, today, almost 3 years after his passing, his spirit is alive and strong. His purpose was so clear—to create a free society in which all are valued for their humanity—that it lives strong in the hearts of many, fueling vision and right action on behalf of others. As Richard Leider notes, purpose is about serving something larger than yourself. Purpose-shared is always the goal. Join me in being inspired to live larger than our selves, with right action, on behalf of a freedom that values each human for their gifts and presence. LISTEN: Two Mandela Speeches That Made History The first happened in 1964, when Mandela was put on trial for sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the state. The second is the speech Mandela gave in 1994 when he was inaugurated as president. #PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #NelsonMandela #RichardLeider #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

We've had the honor of knowing and working closely with three Purpose Pioneers: Richard Leider, Meg Wheatley and Peter Block. We are taking a moment to celebrate their life's work of living and teaching purposefully. Enjoy! Purpose Shared: "Becoming a Wise Leader" -Richard Leider The Purposeful Warrior: A Conversation with Meg Wheatley Purpose Shared: Leadership is Convening - Peter Block #PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

via centerfpl.blogs.com Our new offering for convening virtual meetings and engagements. Perfect for those wanting an introduction to the AoC method and how to apply in virtual space. Continue reading

We are excited about this great new AoC training: it will focus on your expression of purpose and leadership- virtually! [9 Steps to Collaboration] You can email either Patricia or Craig for questions. #PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

As we asked in last week's post, what is at the heart of the matter for you... Credit to Richard Leider for this simple but potent formula. Purpose isn't grandiose, but is simply the you that is expressed every day, in little and possibly large ways. Credit to poet Mary Oliver for crafting a powerful phrase and asking the pertinent question: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious life?” “The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver. #PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #RichardLeider #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

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 Continue reading

Credit to poet Mary Oliver for crafting a powerful phrase and asking the pertinent question: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious life?” “The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver. #PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement #RichardLeider 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

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 Continue reading

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement #RichardLeider 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

We are thrilled to offer a recent essay by friend Peter Block. We deeply admire his thought leadership. In implementing stewardship principles many well-meaning people in power make the false connection that if we want consistency and control in the quality of product or service we deliver to customers, we must have consistency and control in the way we govern the people creating the product or service. The business process and the human process are both important, but they operate on different principles. Forgetting this results in cosmetic change. We need to understand that the methods of change we choose can undermine our intentions unless they produce a redistribution of power, purpose, and privilege. A clear example of how popular strategies of improvement can reinforce patriarchy and feed rather than confront our belief in consistency and control is the organizational visioning process. We have bought the notion that vision must come from the top. Since the mid-1980s, every top management team has created its vision statement and worked hard on communicating it. What this means in practical terms is that a consultant or staff person has spent a lot of time interviewing executives and writing vision paragraphs. A half- or full-day retreat is then convened so the top group can wordsmith the statement and plan for its distribution. The intent is sincere and the content is always appealing. Each management team affirms its uniqueness by declaring that it is committed to being world class, will be number one in its... Continue reading

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement #RichardLeider 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

We are thrilled to celebrate with CPL Associate Barbara Shipka on this amazing milestone. More on the story below and by clicking on the photo. From Barbara: Today I invite you to celebrate with me. Recently I was honored with the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Boards of Directors of The Gestalt Center for Organization and Systems Development. To quote the Center’s President and CEO, John D. Carter, “Thank you for making a difference in the world through your presence as an applied behavioral science practitioner. You have found a way to gently touch the hearts of people by allowing them to learn from your work.” Each of you has had a lot to do with my winning this award. ... I started this project as a small way of offering a counterbalance to the dissonance of the world. Now I am discovering that, while I believe this project is meeting that vision, it is also evolving into a process that goes far beyond that. It is actually demonstrating how, via technology, we can connect at the heart level even when we cannot be in person. Thus, our reach and our individual and collective webs can be so much more than we ever imagined! I’ve known many of you personally at some point in time covering many decades. We may not have been in each other’s physical company for years but, through this project, we have consciously reignited our connections with each other – both subtly and explicitly. Each... Continue reading

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement #RichardLeider 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

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 Continue reading

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement #RichardLeider 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #AuthenticEngagement #RichardLeider 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading

#PurposefulLeadership #Purpose #Leadership #Convening #ArtofConvening #Engagement 2018 Center for Purposeful Leadership The Art of Convening Continue reading