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In many cultures the elders are valued for the wisdom they have gathered through living many decades. They are looked to with respect for their sage insights and the patience and interconnectedness that comes from living through many different challenges. At a recent 2013 International Greenleaf Conference the question was raised at our Virtual Servant Leadership Learning Community (VSLLC) dinner, could there be value in forming such a council of elders? And could we add value by sharing with others some of the stories, insights and wisdom that are emerging from our five years and six VSLLC Learning Circles? Not that we have all the answers. Clearly we don’t and don’t pretend to. But is there a valuable perspective which might spawn even more beneficial servant leadership coming from living through the many phases of life and learning from mistakes? Hopefully there is.
Do those of us in our later years need to keep our hearts and minds open to keep learning and unlearning from those coming after us? Absolutely! What we are offering is simply a personal story or perspective…something that brings the spirit of servant leadership forward into our lives.
Robert Greenleaf spoke of Spirit Carriers:
“In my view of the world, there are people whom I would call ‘spirit carriers.’ Servants who nurture the human spirit are spirit carriers. They serve to connect those who do the work of the world, or who are being prepared for that role, with vision from both past and contemporary prophets. Those servants find the resources and make the intensive effort to be an effective influence. They don’t just make speeches or write books as the prophet does. They are spirit carriers; they connect the prophecy with the people so that it changes their lives. The spirit is power, but only when the spirit carrier, the servant as nurturer of the human spirit, is a powerful and not a casual force.”
Perhaps we might dare to live into that calling. Perhaps we can encourage raising self awareness and enhancing the inner landscape of our lives and inviting others to join in this journey of creating a life based on servant leadership.
Barry Richmond, former Deputy Commander at Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck Center for Complex Operations, which is the largest Army base in the country, is our first Elder to speak. Below is a short description of Barry’s background (1) followed by a brief piece he wrote to prepare his successor for a new leadership position (2). The final story is one of servant leadership at its best called Who Packed Your Parachute? (3) We know you will enjoy Barry’s inspiring and heart-warming stories. Barry has also captured in two elegant mind maps (4,5), the key ideas from our dialogue that evening and the next day.
Our vision is to share the wisdom of other Spirit Carriers in future blogs. We are hosting a page on our AMCA website for news and further ideas to expand the concept of Spirit Carriers:http://amca.com/servant-leadership/spirit-carriers-elder-council/.
(1) BR really informal bio Mar 13
(3) Who Packed Your Parachute?
(4) Spirit Carrier Envisioning
Ann McGee-Cooper
“We asked AMCA to help us with our servant leadership development strategy. They did more than nudge us along. They instilled a discipline we needed to hold ourselves accountable and to stay true to our beliefs and values during the hard times, as well as the good. They are not cheerleaders. They are wise sages and counsel, as well as friends.”
