By Susan K Furness, Edgewalker Senior Associate
It is a precious responsibility to step into any of the five Edgewalker Archetypes of Change. Yet acting in or out as the Guardian orientation feels especially huge. I mean, a Guard takes care of something deemed valuable. And adding the ‘ian’ brings a truly intimate energy. Like it is my sole responsibility. Or indeed my ‘soul responsibility’.
In 2008, I embraced the Guardian as my default archetype. However, the way I wear the proverbial overcoat sees me ever eager to fill the extra-large pockets with ‘responsibility for the responsibilities of others’. The precious role of the Guardian – to tend what is precious – falls heavy on my shoulders.
In her book Edgewalkers; People and Organizations that Take Risks, Build Bridges and Break New Ground, Dr Judi Neal’s definition offers immediate light, with words like future, gift, sensing, protecting people:
Guardians are the people who look to the future and tend to see all the things that could potentially be a problem. They have a gift of analyzing and/or sensing what could go wrong before it happens. They are committed to protecting people and the organization from potential harm.
To lighten up, I need to repack. In earlier blogs I ignited a fresh relationship with the Edgewalker Skills of Sensing and Focusing. Thus, I love that Judi honors the sense-ability of Guardians as they look to the future with a focused beam to reveal potential pitfalls on the road less travelled.
I also warm to the play with polarities, bringing the left and right brain into the game calling to work the ‘analysis of facts and the third eye of intuition’. Intuition is an Edgewalker Quality of Being.
But what feels uncomfortably hot and heavy is the ‘commitment to protecting from harm’.
I take some moments to listen to my Guardian-filled heart and recall the need to deploy ‘sensed-based situation analysis.’ Is my responsibility as a Guardian to shout ‘fight or flight’? I recall the Indian philosopher, Anthony De Mello’s suggestion: “…find truth in observation, not opinion….”.
Another light goes on.
In the unlikelihood of serious physical harm to anyone my commitment to protection can be met by delivering the message as a well-rounded observation, stripped of opinion, demand, directive or order.
In this light, my Guardian overcoat immediately feels much lighter.
My responsibility is not to carry the responsibility of others, rather to appropriately name what I sense and/or know. This is made even lighter presently as life during and after corona offers no known facts. Sensing the Future is showing up as an ‘alternative strategic driver’ in business and in life.
Let’s unpack some more.
‘Problem’ features boldly in in Judi’s definition and this tugs uncomfortably at my heart strings. I do not do problems and to further empty my pockets I need to find a replacement word.
Diane Musho Hamilton wrote the book Everything Is Workable. With inner listening and outer practice, I know Diane to be right and that a conscious conversation can clear the pathway – and help keep the luggage light.
Indeed, if I notice my polarity excitement rising at the mention of a ‘problem, issue or challenge at home, in the office or the boardroom’ I am going to re-christen it swiftly as an ‘opportunity’.
This lands beautifully at the door of the next Edgewalker Café entitled ‘Blessings in Disguise; Six revealing gifts of Intention’. Do join us on February 11, 2021. See our Edgewalker Newsletter for details.
Dear Susan,
Your offering reminded me of my role when creating a programme designed to encourage directors to consider how they managed complexity and uncertainty. I didn’t want it to be a teaching process, but definitely a learning process for us all. To do this I offered a challenge that was highly complex, completely uncertain for everyone, and dangerous! They had to, in groups of up to 10, plan and sail a day’s voyage on 70’ ocean racing yachts having had no previous experience of sailing. The whole event was recorded, and we then spent a day reflecting on their performance. There was no judgement and they were encouraged to offer constructive feedback to their colleagues. My role as Guardian was potentially challenging as I could only be present on one of the yachts – we had up to 10 yachts sailing as a fleet during the exercise. All the comments you made about this role applied. I needed to be the Guardian for the students and professional sailors during the sailing phase, and this required another aspect of Guardianship that I feel should be brought out, as it also features in every other quality of ‘Edgewalking’. To properly hold the space for guiding others you need a vision that can embrace all that you seek to achieve. Creating this vision is not an easy matter because it must embrace anyone who joins the group. My sense is that you all do this but don’t necessarily recognise it – and yet it is a vital part for success. I only shared this vision with the facilitators who helped me on each yacht because they needed to hold the same vision as they fulfilled their roles. The strange thing was that I didn’t put it into words but merely modelled it for them. It amazed me that it always worked in the 23 years I ran the programme and they always asked if could they do more with me! Never forget the power of a vision. The sad part of this was that when I tried to hand it over to someone else they simply couldn’t understand the vision element and said what I had done was impossible, so the programme ended.
Best wishes, Rex
Dear Susan,
Your offering reminded me of my ‘Guardian’ role when creating a programme designed to encourage directors to consider how they managed complexity and uncertainty. I didn’t want it to be a teaching process, but definitely a learning process for us all and achieved this through an ‘observation not opinion’ process. To do this I offered a challenge that was highly complex, completely uncertain for everyone, and dangerous! They had to, in groups of up to 10, plan and sail a day’s voyage on 70’ ocean racing yachts having had no previous experience of sailing. The whole event was recorded, and we then spent a day reflecting on their performance. There was no judgement and they were encouraged to offer constructive feedback to their each other. My role as Guardian was potentially challenging as I could only be present on one of the yachts – we had up to 10 yachts sailing as a fleet during the exercise. All the comments you made about this role applied. I needed to be the Guardian for the students and professional sailors during the sailing phase, and this required another aspect of Guardianship that I feel should be brought out, as it also features in every other quality of ‘Edgewalking’. To properly hold the space for guiding others you need a vision that can embrace all that you seek to achieve. Creating this vision is not an easy matter because it must embrace anyone who joins the group. My sense is that Edgewalkers all do this but don’t necessarily recognise it – and yet it is a vital part for success. I only shared this vision with the facilitators and professional sailors who helped me on each yacht because they needed to hold the same vision as they fulfilled their roles. The strange thing was that I didn’t put it into words but simply modelled it for them. It amazed me that it always worked in the 23 years I ran the programme and they always said, and could, do far more with it! Never forget the power of a simple vision. The learning arose not from my feedback, which was minimal, but from each participant sharing openly their experience and learning, and this continued back in their companies too. Real life is far more complex than any idealised answer to how to deal with a problem can offer, mostly due to the complexity form the context. A good Guardian is invisible.
Best wishes, Rex
Rex, I have just realised that this wonderful ‘comment’ did not receive a reply. In keeping it light, please forgive the tardy reply. At the same time please accept appreciation for you as you honour the role of the Guardian – as the guiding light giving ‘visability’ from the subtle comfort of your presence and your ability to ‘just Be’.