The teams I have most enjoyed being part of embrace many of the same processes as the natural ecosystems I have studied – adaptation, collaboration, responsiveness, empathy, and self-organization. I aim to be part of teams and organizations that are deeply inclusive, compassionately collaborative, radically trusting, non-hierarchical while honoring expertise, empower everyone to make decisions and contribute to a larger purpose, where all team members are valued for their unique roles and contributions. Roles can be flexible as interests, skills, and needs evolve, and as the time and energy members have available fluctuates.
While I’ve always seen opportunities for improvement in how organizations and workplaces function, a particular spark of inspiration came when I read Reinventing Organizations by Fredric Laloux in 2016. Since then I have continued to be inspired by next-stage organizations and have studied their practices and challenges through podcasts like Leadermorphosis, Brave New Work, and Denizen, and the ideas that Claudia Gross shares in the Life at Work // Weekly newsletter. A large part of my journey to these communities has included personal work, where I’ve been inspired by brave authors and practitioners including Brené Brown, Kristin Neff, Christoper Germer, Tara Brach, Resmaa Menakem, Sharon Salzberg, Marshall Rosenberg, and Jon Kabat-Zinn. I’ve also sought out communities to support me in learning and growing the skills important to compassionate relationships and organizations, including the Intentional Society, Enlivening Edge, and Zebras Unite and related co-op initiatives.