We need leaders who recognize the harm being done
to people and planet through the dominant practices that
control, ignore, abuse, and oppress the human spirit.
We need leaders who put service over self,
stand steadfast in crises and failures, and
who display unshakable faith that
people can be generous, creative, and kind.
Margaret Wheatley
Why do leaders need to be Warriors for the Human Spirit?
To be a life-affirming leader or activist has become increasingly difficult. Forces beyond our control have created a global climate of fear and conflict.
Leadership skills that worked well in the past no longer are sufficient.
Warriors appear in every culture when hard times come upon the people. Warrior weapons can be aggressive or peaceful, yet they share one value: They commit to protect and preserve what must be saved.
Warriors for the Human Spirit train to develop the qualities and skillful means necessary to protect and preserve the human spirit and the spirit of life.
They have only two “weapons”—compassion and insight.
You’re ready to train as a Warrior for the Human Spirit if:
You want to continue to make a difference with your work and life, but are frustrated by your inability to lead or promote your cause effectively.
You are aware of the increase in fear and conflict but refuse to succumb to these.
You care about your community and want to contribute to its wellbeing.
You feel grief, sorrow, and anger for what is being lost, from individuals to species to the planet. Yet you still have faith in people’s potential for generosity, creativity, kindness, love.
You have chosen service over self-interest many times before. You refuse to give up—you are determined to find a path of meaningful contribution.
You yearn for a community of people who seek to nourish life, with whom you can console, celebrate, strategize, exclaim, grieve, laugh.
This world needs leaders to be Warriors for the Human Spirit
To be a life-affirming leader or activist has become very difficult. The skills and methods that once worked now hit up against strong barriers:
People are withdrawn in fear and self-protection–they are less willing to contribute or participate.
Senior leaders react to uncertainty and lack of control by demanding more control from staff through plans, objectives, and guaranteed outcomes.
Policies and governments shift frequently and incoherently. It is rare to reach consensus; partisanship and politics destroy the future.
The leadership skills that worked well in the past no longer are sufficient. New skills and qualities are necessary now:
Patience, perseverance, presence. Insight, clear seeing, discernment. Compassion, caring, availability. Trustworthiness, honesty, humility.
Forces beyond our control have created a global climate of fear and conflict. Leaders hold onto power by making us afraid of one another. Greed and corruption predominate in politics and business. Elites take everything for themselves. People seek security in tribal behaviors. Values about the common good, morality, caring for one another no longer summon people to work together.
These dynamics occur in every civilization at the end of its life cycle. They will intensify, causing more problems and greater suffering. As leaders, activists, and citizens who have made a difference, who still need to make a difference, what can we do? Can we define a role for ourselves that truly contributes for this time?
Throughout history, when times grow dark, Warriors arise to protect and defend what is being threatened. Their weapons are either aggressive or peaceful. But they share one core value: to train themselves as protectors for what is being lost. To fulfill this role, to prepare for greater challenges, they commit to training to develop their skills. They bind together as a community dedicated to this purpose. Today, we name leaders who make this commitment Warriors for the Human Spirit.
Warriors for the Human Spirit train to develop the qualities and skillful means necessary to protect and preserve the human spirit and the spirit of life. They have only two “weapons”—compassion and insight.
- They learn how to calm situations of conflict and distress by offering their presence and equanimity.
- They learn how to embody sanity by being responsive rather than reactive, conscious rather than compulsive.
- They learn to see beyond their filters and judgements so that more information is available for decision-making.
- They learn to see what’s needed rather than imposing their own needs on a situation.
- They learn to trust themselves, to act with confidence not burdened by arrogance.
- They learn to see clearly so they can act wisely.
- As they train together, they develop a strong and reliable community for support, ideas, consolation, humor, and grace.
Taking our place in history
When we consciously commit to train as a Warrior, we are taking our place in history. Countless others have gone before us to serve the needs of their time. Personal family lineages are filled with Warriors: those who went to war, who migrated, who endured poverty, injustice, conflicts, dislocation, natural disasters.
Without their valiancy, we wouldn’t be here.
Standing on their shoulders, we find strength and determination. Looking forward, we discover a path of meaningful contribution. We commit to doing what we can to serve the needs of our time. We join this lineage of brave, generous, and noble people who offered their hearts, hands, and spirits for what they believed in, for what they knew must change.
It’s just our turn to serve the world.
