Articles
Boundary-less Boundaries: Leading and Working in "Free Fall"
By George Pitagorsky
Firm distinctions and boundaries are a root cause of much of the strife and unnecessary suffering in the world. Yet, many are so conditioned to the belief that their boundaries are fixed that they can no longer lead, manage or work in organizations and communities that are facing fast moving continuous change in their basic structures. Going beyond our conditioned reactions and attachments enables effective performance.With change being the only certainty and our familiar boundaries and identities breaking down, we find ourselves in free fall - no ground, no direction. We have choices: freak out, fool ourselves into thinking we can be in control or go with the flow and enjoy the ride. If we choose to go with the flow it doesn't mean we are completely at its mercy. We can learn to fly. We can use the flow.
There is a centuries old culture spanning notion that we are part of a singular unity where separation is an illusion. And yet, practically, there is a reason for distinctions and boundaries. It is another one of the paradoxes that make life so interesting. The absolute unity and the relative duality coexist.
Do We Need Boundaries?From the perspective of leading, managing and performing work in and around organizations boundaries can be useful. We can make use of the efficiencies of departmentalizing. There is power in carving out distinctly identified professions, communities of practice and teams with strong internal bonds. In some circumstances competition among individuals and groups motivates stellar performance. We can reinforce the illusion of solid boundaries to make those who don't do well in a free fall environment feel more comfortable and productive.On a personal level, it is a natural part of development for a child to differentiate and separate from his or her parents. It is important to self reflect and construct a strong healthy ego in order to satisfy basic needs and develop beyond them to self-actualization and self-transcendence. |  |
Boundaries are Man Made
There is power in the effective use of boundaries, but we must be careful to remember that boundaries are imaginary. They are a convenience that we use to more effectively manage our world. When we forget this, we become identified so strongly with our bounded sense of self or our group that we may view any disturbance to our boundaries as a threat; we conflict with other groups, often violently and rarely productively. We resist change and innovation. We see this phenomenon on a global political level, in organizations, communities, tribes and families.
Boundary Spanning Leaders and Follower
Our organizations and communities are changing rapidly and continuously. Not just the events are changing; the values and rules governing behaviors are changing. We can no longer accept leaders who are anchored in the past and who have thinking styles that reinforce divisiveness, rigidity, impracticality and questionable values. Leaders who can go beyond boundaries to see the big picture promote the kind of thinking and doing that enable people to feel comfortable making their way in an unpredictable world.
Even the distinction between leader and follower is subject to change. Effective leaders are led by their followers just as followers are led by their leaders. Everyone therefore needs to become increasingly able to work and live in the midst of continuous change, fluid boundaries and uncertainty.
Stepping Back
Stepping back from the normal day to day perspective to see the big picture enables us to perceive boundaries for what they are. Then we can choose which to retain and which to discard. We go beyond reactivity to enable objectivity and responsiveness.
How does one step back? We can practice insight or mindfulness meditation. It cultivates a quality of mind that is constantly observing, objectively and unobtrusively. We can seamlessly do and observe simultaneously. This gives us the power to choose. Anyone at any level of organizations and communities can benefit from this simple practice.
On another level we take a systems thinking perspective. We see the world around us as a set of complex intersecting systems. We map them and seek to understand the way our behavior and the behavior of others drive change. In relationships we look at things from multiple perspectives, our own personal perspective, from the perspective of the others we are relating with and from the perspective of an uninvolved objective observer. As we do this we become increasingly capable of working effectively and innovatively in a constantly changing, unpredictable environment. Why? Because we have softened our habitual identification and opened to a realistic understanding of the nature of ourselves and our environment.
Call to Action Make a commitment to yourself, your organization and community to become familiar with and use the techniques of mindfulness meditation and systems thinking. In this way you will be able to thrive in change and act as an example for those around you.
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