from founder Chris Wallace Caldwell
I have to admit that in my career, there was a time when I was a bit more focused on the “serious” manifestation of my work. You know … stay on task, use big words, write important things, get tasks done.
I certainly employed a more intuitive organic side, but (and especially as a woman) I tamped that down in order to present a more serious demeanor as a way to establish my personal credibility. Years ago as the executive director of a science museum this felt critical to my success.
I don’t want to discount that may indeed be true, as I faced our societal conditioning of how we expect of our leaders to act. But I have to question if this is what we need in our organizations and how I contributed to that expectation.
But, you know, age brings some benefits!
One being that I am having much more fun and am much more confident leaning fully into what “feels” right. And one of those “feels” is how much we pay attention to the vibe in the room.
At our “𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀” workshop on November 7 at Revolution Hall, collaborator Alison Allen-Hall and I talked about the importance of paying attention to the group field – essentially the vibe that is present any time we gather folks together. And when we are gathered together to lead, this awareness and attention becomes critical to our collective success.
Long time friend and collaborator photographer Rachel Hadiashar captured some of the atmosphere we created together.
Suffice to say, it is worth your time as a leader to tune into the vibe in the room and the vibe on your team. Even naming that it exists, takes you an important step down the road to creating the leadership team you want.
We believe the “vibe” matters. Which is why we pay close attention to the feeling in the room, whether we are facilitating a large meeting, supporting a planning process, and engaging with our community.