Saying Yes to the Unknown

I’ve worked with people across a range of ages, roles, company sizes and industries for nearly two decades. This experience has me in full agreement with Ernest Shackleton.

This same experience also tells me that it's equally in our human nature to pursue certainty. Even though we know very few things in life have guaranteed outcomes, we crave it.

Irvine and I recognize the Source Experience invites people to look at leadership through a different lens. We’ve heard great curiosity and we’ve heard good questions, too! This article shares answers to the most common ones we’ve received.

What outcomes might I expect from Source?

The Source Experience is designed to be developmental in nature. What does that mean?

1. First and foremost, developmental experiences differ from training events that offer the same outcomes for everyone.
2. Each leader will be on their own journey as the program begins and as it concludes. Source will meet each person where they are—acknowledging work they’ve already done and helping them find new areas to explore.
3. Each leader will identify what they want to delve into based on their SQ21 assessment and on existing development goals too (more on SQ21 below). This exploration is supported by Irvine and I as Certified Leadership Coaches. If desired, this piece could also be supported by a participant’s manager to align growth areas with organizational goals.

How will Source enhance my capabilities as a leader?

A foundational component of Source is the Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) assessment. SQ is defined as “the ability to act with wisdom and compassion while maintaining inner and outer peace, regardless of the circumstances.” Pretty good leadership stuff there!

SQ21 is a self-assessment of 21 skills. Of note: it is focused on behaviors, not beliefs. The report highlights a current skill level for each behavior and offers suggestions about how to develop it further. A full listing of skills is in the sample report. Some examples include:

• Awareness of Ego Self and Higher Self
• Complexity of Thought and Perspective Taking.
• Being a Wise and Effective Change Agent
• Making Compassionate and Wise Decisions?

What do you mean by “a non-traditional” experience?

Spirituality and leadership aren’t typically used in the same sentence! Spirituality is often used interchangeably with religion, and as such, has been left out of organizational leadership development. We believe spirituality is a central domain in our humanity and that this domain can be tapped as a source of internal renewal and in the way we show up for others.

The experience is also non-traditional in that our backdrop for learning is “a wee bit” more spacious (as the Irish would say...) than the usual spaces we occupy for leadership programs.

?We have heard leaders yearn for something out of the ordinary—for deeper sustenance and different resources to stay nourished and in condition to lead.

The agenda indicates time spent in “Source sessions.” Can you say more about these?

Adults learn by hearing the experiences and perspectives of others and by sharing our own. This principle is embedded in Source, as it is in every program Irvine and I have built.

Group sessions will include facilitated conversations and activities that explore questions such as:

• How can my spiritual intelligence strengths help me become a more effective leader?
• In what instances am I able to act with wisdom and compassion while maintaining inner and outer peace? In what instances do I find that more challenging? ?
• What new growth opportunities will I find when exploring the spiritual domain of myself??

Participants can expect the dialogues to be dynamic and to have input into the focus of the conversations, too. We will listen for what is most compelling during our 1:1 coaching sessions and incorporate those themes and questions into the group sessions.

I still have questions.

Great! We are holding an informal Q&A session on March 14, at 5p Eastern Time via Zoom. Please let me know if you’d like to join. We are also glad to connect with you 1:1 if easier.

Finally, a personal note:

Living the tension between “I’m drawn to exploring this” and “I want to know what’s going to happen” is a very real thing and it’s one I can relate to incredibly well. I have countless examples that come to mind, from making major life decisions to evaluating experiences akin to Source. (I’ve tried a bunch.)

As unnerving as it is to say yes to the unknown, without question, the best experiences in my life have come when I’ve released the need to know and committed to the exploration.

If you’re hearing a small voice that’s saying “I’m intrigued, but I’m not sure…”, I hope you’ll reach out to chat with us.

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