Are you in an Ego-system or Eco-system?

8 May 2017 (3 minute read)

As I was walking to work through a crisp autumn morning today (pictured above) these words came to my mind "its time to move from an ego-system to an eco-system".

I'd love to claim these words as my own but the creator is Prof. Otto Scharmer of MIT (Massachusetts not Manukau!) father of the U Theory of systemic change and the author of many thought provoking and instructional books including 'Leading from the Emerging Future: from ego-system to eco-system economies'.

Scharmer's work is about BIG systemic change but I believe the same conversation and action can be had about the system made up of just ourselves and the people we connect with every day.

From an early age 'I' is at the centre of the universe.

Just yesterday I was talking with a friend about his young daughter and how great she is when everything is going her way and she's getting what she want's but...if its not...then William Congreve got is slightly wrong. Hell hath no fury like a six year old scorned!

And this behaviour isn't solely the preserve of children. Rather than grow out of it, I hear about it showing up on a daily basis in the life of organisations from the leaders I work with. Ego and self-interest driving behaviour, culture, decisions, investment (of time and money) and therefore results that may not be in the interests of the whole.

The Destiny to Legacy Change-Over

In one of my earlier articles I wrote about the idea of a mid-life awakening rather than crisis. I think the reason these ego-system vs eco-system words were running through head this morning is linked to some conversations I had on retreat last week. Conversations about a shift in paradigm that group of leaders are experiencing as they all reach 'a certain age'.

These people are high achieving, good humans at the peak of their careers. The paradigm they've run their lives through to this point has had them at the centre and has been largely been about personal success, career progression and material acquisition including growing a family and building a home. Its been a destiny focused life and, by their own admission, lived at pace and often fuelled by fear.

But they're experiencing a shift. The same shift I've experienced myself and that I hear about in room after room of senior leaders around New Zealand and Australia. They're now seeking a balanced life, one where their focus is less on themselves and more on others (and not just their kids!). They have all their material needs met and are adopting more of an 'enough is enough' approach to the acquisition of stuff. They're thinking about the day to day experience they're creating for themselves and others, at work and in life, and living a legacy focused life.

They're becoming aware of the bow wave they create as they move through life and looking over their shoulders at the wake they leave behind.

Everyone talks about a change-over feeling. It makes me think of the tide turning from coming in to going out. The look and feel of the water changes as the energy in it stills and shifts in direction. Career goals are met, friends and/or parents get severely ill or die, children become more and more independent and we have 'all of the things' that we need in life yet there is as much time ahead as there has been behind...if we're lucky.

Its time to set our egos aside.

I believe its time to be humble and reverent in the face of the opportunities and power to influence and control that we have through our choices and decisions. To see ourselves as catalysts in a connected eco-system where everything we do has an impact, on us and others. Not to put ourselves at the centre but to put the interests of the connected whole - an honourable and impactful life through our leadership.

KB#003

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