"Modern humans found themselves on a strange planet - a planet of plenty. Unsure of their surroundings, in fear they spread out searching for danger, looking for predators. 

Ten thousand years passed by on their predator quest, during which time the number of humans had swelled, to grow their armies against their mounting fears. Their quest being passed down the generations. All marching with the same aim - to flush out and find the predators. When suddenly, after centuries they came face to face with their nemesis predator, it was themselves."

This Highly Illogical Story of Leadership is otherwise known as The History of Leadership. This leadership behaviour has resulted in wholesale fear and the destruction of at least 24 key earth systems; greenhouse gas levels, ocean acidification, deforestation and biodiversity deterioration. This was the findings after a 15-year global study by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). In essence, we have had exponential growth between 2004 and 2015 and they are predicting a global breaking point for 2020 for all 24 global indications, being the dawn of the Anthropocene, [3.5-minute video explanation by IGBP] and breakdown of our ecosystems.

“It is difficult to overestimate the scale and speed of change. In a single lifetime humanity has become a planetary-scale geological force,” says lead author Professor Will Steffen, who led the joint project between the IGBP and the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

But, We Are Not There Yet

We hopefully have time with creativity to rid ourselves of the need for power control related fears, and to work together, as working together we are better. 

We have the technologies to harness free low carbon energy - without poisoning our ecosystem and climate on which we are dependant on for food and water. Healthy nature, of which we are a part, cannot exist without balance. We cannot live in an imbalanced environment. We are in this situation because of false based fears.  

The root cause for our fear-based behaviours that have led us to this impasse is unfounded. Is this not the time to drop our fears and move on, working together openly? 

The realisation is, we are controllers of our destinies which emerging sciences are proving. We are only just waking up to our neurological potential - which is vast and our emerging understanding of having multiple brains.

Evolving Leadership Behaviours?

Conformity: During the industrial (economic) age, where the need was for uniform human capital to fit into the cogs of our industrialised society was born, to ‘produce’. Leaderships' role was primarily management by fear practice, fostering (fear based - win or lose) competition, answering questions and giving guidance. By leaders imposing their will onto others, in essence, they were telling them they wanted to control and leave them without a true voice. There was no mainstream need for creativity and critical thinking of the workforce. 

Individuality: Now in the technology and Ingenuity (virtual economic) business age, the mainstream need is for creativity and ingenuity, and the focus of how can we 'add value' is critical. Where leadership’s role is to unite and foster collaboration, and asking questions. It is only by asking better questions do we develop better discussion, understanding, inclusion and results.

What is Your Choice of Leadership Trajectory?

We now have a choice; it's a matter of whether we compete and fail, or work together authentically using our multiple brains and survive. I am opting for the latter.

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