Universal Basic Consciousness

By Justin Foster, Co-Founder of Massive

Universal Basic Income?is a socioeconomic concept based on the idea that there are basic essentials of modern life that poverty prevents access to; further exacerbating the myriad of effects caused by poverty.

I’m borrowing this phrasing and concept to apply to consciousness.

But first some context …

We are well into the move from the Machine Age to the Human Age. In the Machine Age, leadership was more about inventing better machines and processes - and then leading people on how to work within the machinery of a given industry or culture. All of our major institutions (governments, religion, education, finance, corporations, etc) were built and strengthened in the Machine Age. To be an effective leader in the Machine Age required linear vision and the ability to drive people through authority, command, and hierarchical power. It required many admirable traits, but not consciousness.

In the Human Age, leaders don’t really run the business. The people do - especially customers and employees. Leaders are responsible for creating conditions for autonomy and responsiveness. In the Human Age, leaders don’t “empower” others (a term I intensely dislike). They can only disempower - often with mindsets, structures, and approaches that are relics of the Machine Age. In the Human Age, everyone is a leader in some way.

Systems and processes are still important but now leadership is much more about how people interact with each other - in the form of collaboration and getting shit done. This process has been a struggle for leaders who were trying to apply Machine Age principles to lead people in the Human Age. You can see this in the push-back from some leaders about remote work.

It is no longer enough to be emotionally or intellectually intelligent. In the Human Age, effective leaders need to be authentic, empathetic, intuitive, and creative. A Human Age leader needs to be rooted in their Core Self. S/he can’t be playing out unintegrated trauma or an identity crisis with the people they are leading. S/he needs to know their intrinsic values and their purpose. S/he needs to be “consequente”, a Spanish-language word that essentially means that your values, Core Self, and behavior are aligned.

“Mindfulness is a state of being fully present, aware of oneself and other people, and sensitive to one’s reactions to stressful situations. Leaders who are mindful tend to be more effective in understanding and relating to others, and motivating them toward shared goals. Hence, they become more effective in leadership roles.”

- Bill George, professor of Management Practice, and a Henry B. Arthur Fellow of Ethics, at Harvard Business School, former chairman and CEO of Medtronic

All of the ideal traits of a great leader in the Human Age are the fruits of consciousness. Consciousness changes how you see people. You also see the interactions between people - including patterns that were prior to consciousness, invisible. All of this changes how you lead. And how you use power. This is why our foundational belief at?Massive?is that consciousness changes the dynamics of power.

Re-enter the idea of Universal Basic Conscious (UBC).

I had previously written about the?three different kinds of consciousness. UBC is a foundational blend of all three but mostly applies to mental and social consciousness. I posit that UBC contains the following minimum levels of consciousness:

1. Critical Mind -?This is the first skill that Virginia teaches in her?Becoming Indomable?coaching program. It is the ability to observe your thoughts and feelings - and the awareness that you are not your thoughts and feelings. It is the ability to apply non-binary thinking (a Human Age essential) in every situation. It is the ability to be humble; to apply a beginner’s mind and accept that you might be wrong. It is awareness of biases and a mind free of Machine Age social conditioning.
2. Imagination + Creativity -?In the Human Age, leaders must awaken and exercise the entirety of their mind’s capacity. Consciousness reveals that we are all creative and that the ability to imagine and then create is a fundamental human skill. Consciousness frees you from relying solely on instinct and allows you to listen more to intuition - which is a kind of source code for imagination and creativity.
3. Integrating Feminine & Masculine -?Although women tend to be more adept at integrating feminine and masculine, this is not really about gender. It is about energy. A helpful framework is that the heart is feminine and the mind is masculine. Feminine energy is about creation, receptivity, listening, and being - all extremely important in the Human Age. The masculine is more about doing; organizing, executing, and logic.

The combination of the above produces the kind of leader that is open, curious, courageous, inclusive, intentional, humble, innovative and so much more. It produces the kind of leader that people want to follow and want to embody. And maybe most importantly, it creates the kind of leader who is willing to use their authority and power to create true systemic change.

If you are already on your own consciousness journey, you will recognize these foundational traits. If you are curious about consciousness (and especially how it applies to leadership in the Human Age), here are some simple starting points:

• Start meditating. We don’t meditate to change our life, our mind, or our conditions. We meditate to be present in what is, to observe, and to return to the seat of choice that is the birthright of every human.?I highly recommend Sam Harris’ app,?Waking Up.
• Start asking questions.?Especially about what you think you believe (here’s a great book?for that) but also start questioning the systems you find yourself in - particularly the ones you get your power and identity from.
• Start getting to know your soul.?Your soul is what will make you a great leader. Maybe even a history shaper. It contains your humanity, your dignity, your ability to be compassionate. Your soul belongs in your work. Without it, you are just part of the machinery.
• Ask for help.?Consciousness, especially social consciousness,?requires coaching. If you can’t afford a coach, find a spiritual mentor and/or surround yourself with other conscious people.

Now, if we could just teach UBC in business schools and leadership development programs. If you know of a subversive and brave decision-maker in either of these roles, please share this article with them and introduce me.

Justin Foster believes that love never looks away. After many years as a brand coach, this belief inspired him to co-found Massive, a coaching practice dedicated to supporting business leaders who are called to use their status and brand to take on systemic change. Besides the business poetry of messaging, Justin’s love for language extends beyond the business world as a poet, essayist, and songwriter.