Leader as Shambhala Warrior

with Margaret Wheatley, James Gimian, & Jerry Granelli

As fear and aggression escalate in society and organizations, what is our role as leaders? How do we maintain focus, courage, integrity? When good initiatives and projects get swept aside by crises and cut-backs, how do we avoid cascading despair? How do we not succumb to aggression and fear ourselves?

Such times call forth a new yet timeless kind of leadership. We are called to practice warriorship as described in the Shambhala tradition.

Warrior-leaders are working within the systems of power, but claim a different basis for their leadership. They are warriors for human goodness, whose unshakable strength and confidence arise from gentleness. They demonstrate compassion and clarity of insight. From being grounded in their own authenticity, they develop the capacity to remain open to what is, to encounter experiences fully. In this way, they become fearless and effective leaders, even in the midst of turmoil.

As module leaders, we recognize the need to develop warriorship in ourselves and others. We also know this works best when it is a collective effort, when we can support and inspire one another. Therefore, this module is designed as a joint inquiry/experiment into how we practice warriorship with ourselves, with each other, and within our organizations. We aspire to create a community of learners willing to explore fearlessly and practice warriorship moment to moment during the life of the module.

Following on Meg and Jerry's 2007 and 2008 modules on Fearlessness (with Chris Grant) our intent now is to go deeper and engage with people who already claim their leadership as Shambhala warriors.  Meg brings her many years of experience as a consultant and student of leadership; Jerry brings his music and artistic process; James Gimian joins us this year with his knowledge of Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Both Jerry and James also bring many years of teaching in the Shambhala tradition.

In order to encourage depth, risk-taking, and community, we have developed criteria for participation:

• Prior attendance at the Shambhala Summer Institute (any module)
• An ongoing, disciplined spiritual or contemplative practice (of any tradition)
• An ability to take responsibility for yourself within a group
• A willingness to step into the unknown with companions
• A desire to practice fearlessness
• A willingness to encounter groundlessness

"Warriorship here does not refer to making war on others. Aggression is the source of our problems, not the solution. Here the word 'warrior' is taken from the Tibetan pawo, which literally means 'one who is brave.' Warriorship in this context is the tradition of human bravery, or the tradition of fearlessness. The North American Indians had such a tradition, and it also existed in South American societies. The Japanese ideal of the samurai also represented a warrior tradition of wisdom, and there have been principles of enlightened warriorship in Western Christian societies as well."
– Chogyam Trungpa, Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, 1984.

Margaret Wheatley writes, teaches, and speaks about radically new practices and ideas for organizing in chaotic times. She is President emerita of The Berkana Institute, a charitable global foundation serving life-affirming leaders around the world. Her newest book, Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time, is a collection of her practice-focused writings, where she describes both the organizational and personal behaviors that bring her theories to life. Her classic book Leadership and the New Science has just been published in a revised and updated third edition, and now appears in 20 languages. Her other books are Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future, and A Simpler Way (with Myron Kellner-Rogers). Her articles appear frequently in a wide variety of magazines and professional publications. See her website for her most recent articles and listing of seminars.

For over twenty-five years James Gimian has taught seminars, corporate retreats, and leadership programs on how to apply effectively the strategies and principles of The Art of War in a wide range of contexts. James studied strategy with the Tibetan teacher Chogyam Trungpa, who introduced the Shambhala teachings to the West. He is currently the publisher of the Shambhala Sun magazine and the co-director of the Denma Translation Group, which produced a critically acclaimed and best-selling translation of The Art of War. James is the co-author of The Rules of Victory: How to Transform Chaos and Conflict–Strategies from the Art of War (2008).

Jerry Granelli, jazz drummer, composer, bandleader, and teacher, began his musical career in San Francisco in the 1960s, as a member of Vince Guaraldi's group, and then later as the rhythm-section mate of Charlie Haden. Over the years he has frequently worked with Mose Allison, and has been regarded as the star pupil of legendary drum master Joe Morello. Jerry spent much of the 1970s and early '80s teaching in various innovative and prestigious music programs, such as Seattle's Cornish Institute and Boulder's Naropa University.

In the mid-1980s he returned to active recording and performing, first in a trio with Ralph Towner and Gary Peacock, and then with the group Quartet. He now leads his own quartet, Berlin-based UFB. His recordings include Another Place, A Song I Thought I Heard Buddy Sing, News from the Street, and Broken Circle. Jerry presently teaches at the Hochschule der Kunst in Berlin, and also lives and performs in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Shambhala Summer Institute Modules

Action Inquiry: Transformational Leadership in the Midst of Action
with Bill Torbert & Mary Stacey

The Art of Hosting Conversations and Collaborations Across Generations
with Chris Corrigan, Tim Merry, & Barbara Bash

Coping with Chaos: Tools and Practices from Human Systems Dynamics
with Glenda Eoyang & Wendy Morris

Embodied Leadership – Empowered Life
with Wendy Palmer

Leader as Coach
with Sarita Chawla & James Flaherty

Leader as Shambhala Warrior
with Margaret Wheatley, James Gimian, & Jerry Granelli

Organizational Trust: Cultivating Authenticity, Commitment, and Collaboration
with Ruben Perczek, Susan Skjei, & Steve Clorfeine