Peter Senge on Obama: A letter to the President (an illustration)

[Sheila Damodaran]

Dear all,

Hope all this finds you enjoying the first day of the Lunar New Year!

Sherry Immediato, the President and MD of SoL (Global) shares Peter's thoughts on the inauguration of the New President of United States.

Happy Reading and Gong Xi Fa Cai to all!

Warmly
Sheila Damodaran
Email: dm...@pacific.net.sg
Singapore:  +65-94790526
Botswana:  +267-74780886
LOPN Homepage: http://www.lopn.net
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----- Forwarded message from res...@solonline.org -----
    Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:53:57 -0500
    From: Sherry Immediato <res...@solonline.org>
Reply-To: imme...@solonline.org
Subject: [news] Inauguration News from Peter Senge and SoL
      To: Sheila Damodaran <dm...@pacific.net.sg>

  HTML Message       

  20 January 2009

  Dear Sheila,

  It was cold and bright here in Boston at dawn today, a day we all
hope will mark a new era of collective intelligence and wisdom in the
US and beyond. I know people here and around the world anticipate
great things from Barack Obama, who was sworn into office today. But
as Kennedy reminded us 48 years ago and echoed by Obama today, the
work ahead belongs to all of us.
WHAT WE MUST DO - A CALL FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA

  "For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the
economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only
to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will
build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that
feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its
rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's
quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and
the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform
our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new
age. All this we can do. All this we will do." Obama noted that we
have accomplished amazing things together - how did we do that? What
strengths do we need to build on to realize these opportunities? 
OUR RESPONSE - ACTION AND REFLECTION INFUSED WITH VISION,
COLLABORATION AND SYSTEMS THINKING

  Peter Senge asked me to share a letter he wrote last week from
China to President Obama.[1] As you might expect, Peter takes a
systems view and in particular encourages a partnership with China to
create a more sustainable world. This is one illustration.

  More generally, we believe that those who have been successful in
beginning to realize Obama's vision have distinctive competencies as
detailed in /The Necessary Revolution: How Individuals and
Organizations are Working Together to Create a Sustainable World[2] /
by Peter Senge and colleagues.

  What are the competencies that separate leading organizations from
the rest? They ...

  * EXCEL AT SEEING SYSTEMS. They recognize basic system phenomena
everywhere - limits to success, shifting the burden to the intervener,
accidental adversaries.  In particular, they see the system
independent of organizational boundaries.
  * COLLABORATE ACROSS BOUNDARIES WITH EASE.  They know how to get
the whole system in the room and respect the different interests and
perspectives of all stakeholders, making it possible to build their
social networks and realize breakthrough innovations.
  * MOVE EASILY FROM PROBLEM SOLVING TO CREATING.  Fear and anxiety
can definitely motivate action, but rarely does it encourage our best
contributions or sustained effort.  These leaders are both pragmatic -
they're always prototyping and experimenting - one definition of
creating.  They are also oriented toward possibility, evoking
inspiration and creativity throughout the system.

  The SoL community is very much engaged in considering the unique
contribution we can make to a world that works for all. We intend to
continue to offer opportunities to develop needed skills and
capacities in multiple modes, to research and disseminate new
theories, tools and methods, and to provide a space for networking and
innovating across boundaries of all kinds. I hope you will consider
how we can support you in being a true global citizen. 

  EVENTS, COURSES AND RESOURCES

  LEADING & LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY[3]
February 3-5, 2009 - Cambridge, Massachusetts - USA
May 6-8, 2009 - Portland, Oregon - USA

  This new workshop will incorporate many of the basic learning
disciplines and build and deepen their relevance for the world in
which organizations operate today. We will see how systems thinking is
leading to a wide variety of tools to help people "see" the larger
systems of which they're a part, and how the work on mental models and
dialogue is providing a new underpinning for innovative collaborations
across diverse organizational boundaries.  Lastly, personal mastery
and the creative orientation helps shift our orientation from being
"less bad" to truly creating organizations, value chains, industries,
and communities that align with our deepest aspirations.

  FOUNDATIONS FOR LEADERSHIP[4] (BASED ON /THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE/)
March 11-13, 2009 - Cambridge, Massachusetts - USA

  EXECUTIVE CHAMPIONS' WORKSHOP[5]
August 19-21, 2009 - Stowe, Vermont - USA

  In the coming year, we had planned to offer the first SoL Festival
in Nassau, Bahamas. The response to this proposal has been very
positive. To make it available to a maximum number of members, we are
looking for dates in 2010 that we hope will coincide with better
financial conditions for all.

  Please visit the SoL website[6] for other news and announcements,
and look for further announcements, particularly about
teleconferences, webinars and other virtual resources we are
developing.

  SOL MEMBERSHIP
There are SoL communities around the world. If you are not a member
and if there is no local community in your area, you can join SoL as
an individual as a global Connections member. We are also
experimenting with a $5000 organizational membership which provides
member discounts and Connections benefits for all employees. Please
contact me for more details on organizational membership options.

  Tomorrow, important work starts, supported by important work you
are already doing. I hope you will bring the commitments and skills
that you have developed to new partners who are only now reconnecting
with their own sense of what's needed and what's possible. I look
forward to being able to tell your stories in future messages - I know
the millions of smiles and joy of today are the seeds of remarkable
results. No matter what your politics, thank you for believing that
this human capacity was always possible.

  With best wishes for inaugurating new visions and partnerships,

  SherrySherry Immediato, President & Managing Director SoL (Society
for Organizational Learning) PO Box 381050 Cambridge, MA  02238    USA
e-mail: imme...@solonline.org Phone: 1-617-300-9540  Phone:
1-617-300-9550 (assistant - Diane Nakashian)  Visit us at:
http://www.solonline.org.

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Links:
------
[1] http://blogs.solonline.org/users/psenge/blog/
[2] http://www.solonline.org/NecessaryRevolution/
[3] http://www.solonline.org/announcements/item?item_id=20738149
[4] http://www.solonline.org/leadership/
[5] http://www.solonline.org/courses/ExecutiveChampionsWorkshop/
[6] http://www.solonline.org


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