The Call of the Time

What is the call of the time? At this moment, what is the world calling from its leaders?

Many years ago, The Call of the Time started as a process to create a new community of leaders. Going against all odds, it proposed to create a community of leaders who think, more than doing.

We live in a world of doing and so that is what is so new in relation to COTT - we don't do, we just think and we let our thought get stronger and stronger.

I've participated of its 12th edition. It was in a wonderful place near Oxford, England, where one day Lewis Carroll looked amazed at his student, Alice, and created one of the masterpieces of universal literature; at that same place, a group of leaders get together almost every year to go through the glass that separates us from a better world.

It was a free space where people can say whatever they feel related to the topic. It was a strange title for me, even though I am with spirituality for almost 3 decades: The power of Pure Thoughts in the Collective Experience. But it gained new context in the voice of those people whose lives are dedicated to humankind.

Peter Senge was there. I am a kind of his admirer for many years, since the launch of The Fifth Discipline. He was our facilitator and he was also a participant there. He helped us to open our hearts completely and free ourselves to lead better, to look at others in a better way. Thanks to his magic way - soft, almost non-existent - an American facilitator could share what happened when she got divorced and I was able to share my own situation with my father whom I still never met in person since I was 3. He helped a Muslim sheik meet an Israeli Professional through their hearts which are equals. And he helped us to hear the horrible and fascinating story of a massacre in Africa told by a leader who helped so many at that moment and yet, sounded as he did not do a thing.

If Peter helped our minds to meet, our hearts melt with Dadi Janki, the maximum leader of Brahma Kumaris in the world. When she first entered the hall, she just stopped and looked at each one, with so much force and power. Her contribution was valued as treasure by everyone, it does not matter Dadi does not have any kind of certificate and she had went through proper education only for 3 years in her life. She is a leader everyone wanted to hear and be close to her.

Her example of a small white stone used by Indians in the past to purify water captivated everyone in such an extent that one of the participants collect lots of stones from the soil and gave one to each of us. The idea behind is that if a small stone can purify water that can help so many, what can't we do for the world? That is the power of pure thoughts - to purify the atmosphere around.

The end was emotional: we all stood up and sang Row, Row, Row Your Boat (yes, that song...). There was a unity among us, a common feeling, and one of us let that go, crying. Dadi just embrace her and dried her tears with a big smile. We all left smiling, that is probably why we have COTT - to teach us, leaders, to smile again, a smile that comes from a deep reflection.

Take care!

Ashes and airports

On my way to Oxford, to participate of a very importante event for leaders, The Call of the Time, I am thinking a lot about the effect small ashes have in our lives.

Yes, I can only think it is possible the airport is closed!

But, apart from that, how many times in our lives, small ashes - things which we don't give much value, very small in size and with no value - can create chaos in our lives. We all have airports - we all have ways to let other people to come into ou lives and see what we are doing. Some people come into our lives as tourists, just wanting to take and having no interest in helping much. Others come as businesspeople (well, sometimes they also only want to take and have no interest in helping...), who look nice and interesting. And there are others who come as volunteers, trying to give their best with nothing in exchange.

It was just a thought: clean your ashes (negative thoughts, prejudice, expectations, etc.).


Take care!

The end of civilisation

Since I was a child, as far as I remember, I do believe in the end of civilisation.

First of all there is the natural sense of life: everything is in a cycle, all that is born one day will die. Second, I was in love with History, and that is one of the things one learns in History: all civilisations one day "die". Some would die completely, whilst others will just pass to a second place, losing its shine and brightness (economical power, war power, cultural influence, etc.).

Let's see some examples:

• Sumerian civilisation is considered to have disappeared completely, although its importance still exists with its high influence on Babylonians (and us, of course).
• The Mayans have disappeared, but people are still there. Only they don't have the same importance as before.

I would suggest you to read an article on that.

Then, a natural question: what about our civilisation? We are one now, a huge global village. This blog, for instance, will reach Chinese and Kenyans, Brazilians and British, rich and poor, men and women, blacks and whites, Catholics and Atheists.

So, should we think about our end as well?

Some organisations are thinking of that. Apart from religions, cults and spiritual groups, even some scientific organisations are working on the topic (check this video on "Horizon Project").

But, what about "we", the simple guys, people from all backgrounds and paths. Should we be concerned about that?

I think so. When I see the economic chaos we are (at present the fall of Greece, taking with it Spain and WONDERFUL Portugal), or the lack of spirituality, I see the end of that civilisation.

Do you? I would like to know what you see, what you watch.

Take care! Marcelo

New Leadership

My thoughts on leadership have changed along the time. I think I went from a pure idea (what I call a "conceptual leadership") to a more pragmatic vision, a de facto leadership. What did not change was the idea that leaders are most needed in a time of crisis. Like the one we live nowadays.

In fact, not like the one we live, as we are living many different crisis (do we have a plural for crisis? there is one in Portuguese...). Probably, one way to see the need of leadership and the confusion at the time of applying it is the present case of Detroit Downsizing you can see in this video, or read in this article.

I was reading about that in an American magazine whilst crossing USA last March. There are so many questions about why they are doing that or even how, as I am no expert in these questions. But for me the main question is: what is the kind of leadership needed to reach a conclusion and solution like that?

It cannot be a political leadership - there is so much on stake! Neither can be a business leadership or architectonic leadership (just imagine that!) - it has to be a very broad kind of leadership as it has to take in account finances, politics, people, business, education, etc.

There is no simple solution, not a single answer for that. I am not sure if I applaud the decision of Detroit's mayor or if his people will do that. Probably, only History will tell us if that was a good idea or not, it the leadership in that case was correctly applied or not.

Can we wait for History? We should. But we can't. South America is blossoming (believe me!) in terms of Economy and the same for Asia, even parts of Africa. Is it possible that one day the anglo-franco part of North America and Europe will have to migrate towards better places? Well, they had to do it in the past.

If a better leadership does not emerge, it is possible the same happens again. It is time for a leadership with a depth, with a different sense of reality and a broad approach of the world, before the only we can do is downsize our cities.