Edgewalkers

Serving Those Who Walk Between the Worlds

Edgewalkers

Tending the Hearth

By Judi Neal, Ph.D., Founder, Edgewalkers International

This is the third in our series about the five Archetypes of Change – Edgewalkers, Flamekeepers, Hearthtenders, Placeholders and Guardians.  Today we focus on Hearthtenders. 

We all have a complicated relationship with change in our lives and our work.  Sometimes change is welcome and embraced because it makes things better. Sometimes we resist change because we fear it will make things worse. Sometimes we are the initiator of change and other times external factors impose change upon us. Sometimes we take the long view of change, such as “What will my life be like when I retire?” and other times we take an “in-the-moment” short-term view, such as “I wish people would stop interrupting me right now when I’m trying to get this report done.”

The third archetype of change is the Hearthtender and they tend to take a short-term view of change and will embrace it if it makes their work more efficient. In organizations, families or faith communities, the Hearthtender orientation towards change is to value getting the day-to-day work of the system completed in an efficient way.  Their primary orientation is towards being of service. They love to keep things running smoothly, and in an organization, they see their team or unit as “family.”  The Hearthtender naturally is attracted to the idea of continuous, small incremental change and often has creative ideas about how to improve workflow and processes. However, they do not tend to think strategically and long-term. They tend to be focused on details and it is easy for them to get caught up in the weeds or to be overwhelmed by long to-do lists.  

Our research shows that in most organizations, the Hearthtender Archetype is the predominant Archetype of Change, and is absolutely necessary for the not only the routine of daily operation but also for the support of transitions from one organizational state to another.

In the U.S. we are in the midst of a major transition. We have just had a very unhealthy, toxic Edgewalker president leave office. He pushed the boundaries of democratic norms of decency, ethics, and service until they broke. He went over the edge. Our new President, Joe Biden, will need to amplify his Hearthtender Archetype in order to clean up the mess left by his predecessor and to handle all the short-term crises that were intentionally left behind. Biden will need his Hearthtender quality of compassion for others, for seeing unity (“family”) where others see conflict, and he’ll need the quality of a healer as he helps to heal a wounded nation.  As he focuses on the short-term, which is necessary in the middle of a crisis, he will also need to draw upon his Hearthtender skill of being able to multitask, the skill of being able handle many issues at once, the skill of attention to detail in policy-making and decision-making, and the skill of streamlining systems and processes to make them more efficient.  

All of us have the capability to tap into any of the five Archetypes of Change even if one of them is more comfortably our go-to place.  When and where are you a Hearthtender? Think about the parts of your life or work that are going smoothly, that run like a well-oiled machine.  Oiling that machine is Hearthtender work. Think about the parts of your life or work where you truly feel you are being of service, where you make a difference. My husband Ellis Ralph is a beekeeper and this time of year (winter in the Northern Hemisphere) is time to feed the bees sugar water to make sure they get through the cold season until they can forage for themselves. That’s Hearthtender work.  Think about the parts of your life where you bring people together to celebrate or to create a sense of team, community or family. That is the heart-work of a Hearthtender. 

I also encourage you to think about the Hearthtenders in your world who support you. Hearthtenders thrive on knowing their work made a difference, and I encourage you to show them your quiet gratitude. 

Let There be Light: Appreciating the Flamekeeper

Flamekeeper, photo by Vadim Sadovski from Unsplash

By Susan K Furness, Edgewalker Senior Associate

I love playing with polarities or opposites. I embrace their canny ability to help recognise positive learning, naming my truth through observation and not opinion. I mean, if I am unable to describe the liberation in fearlessness, could I tackle the paralysis of fear? Likewise, if I haven’t lived in dark or darkness, could I name light? 

In her book, Edgewalkers Dr. Judi Neal unleashes truths in the experience of the moment. Indeed, the book was birthed after years in the corporate world, and she later integrated her business experience with academia-based research. As her professional insights were compared with freshly harvested data she was able to ground her intuitive knowing. 

Published in 2006, her book cements more than 25 years of research. She describes Edgewalkers as on the cutting edge of human evolution suggesting when an Edgewalker archetype is awake to self-truth they become committed to making a positive difference in the world.

Not surprisingly, Dr. Judi embraces the realization we each show up with different worldviews or what we call “Archetypes of Change.”

I joined the Edgewalker community in 2007 joyfully embracing her glossary describing eclectic approaches to communications, planning, innovation, risk-taking, and openness to change that I witness in business and life. 

As with polarities, such words help flick the switch to understanding. In a ‘blink’ as experience is named, my individual worldview and response is ripe for evolution. In that moment, I resemble Dr Judi’s profiling of an Edgewalker : ‘using human potential to integrate intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual energy in service to something greater (than myself)’. 

Dr. Judi cautions : “It can be lonely being out on the edge, and people often think you are crazy….”.

Ain’t that a fact; one I receive as good news, least not in the these curiously lingering corona times as many seek the ‘new useful’. In this hazy light, I welcome a guiding light and in pops the second archetype, the Flamekeeper. 

Dr. Judi describes : Flamekeepers are those people who keep the original vision of the organization or community system alive. They keep wise counsel and are focused on what is best about the past … open to change, using experience to honor what has worked in the past.

These attributes influence my toolkit as I step willingly yet cautiously into 2021 – some pundits label it ‘twenty twenty won’. I opt to carry luggage not baggage, appreciating the courage required to bless goodbye to what doesn’t serve anymore. This takes de-cluttering to a new place, often on the edge of surrender. 

Dr. Judi reminds us a Flamekeeper orientation pays homage to the guiding mission and purpose : “A strong sense of stewardship permeates the culture of a Flamekeeper organization, allowing the business to carry into the future the best of the past, while also remaining adaptive and nimble.”

The Flamekeeper also appreciate values : ‘…values are clearly articulated, and employees are able to name when actions are in alignment with these values.’

I deeply value the vault of vocabulary unleashed by Dr. Judi’s work especially the nimble relationship to change and a graceful relationship to time akin to the five archetypes. 

And there is no time like the present to face our truth and douse the flame that no longer serves. These times call us as beacons; to illuminate an expansionary view of our world as we walk the bridge to oneness in love, prosperity and peace.

You can read more about Edgewalker Organizations and the Archetypes of Change (called “Orientations” in the article, by clicking in this website on Resources/Articles by Judi Neal/Edgewalker Organizations.

Edgewalkers in the New Era

Patricia Campanile, Senior Edgewalker Associate


Dr. Judi Neal, author of “Edgewalkers: People and Organizations that Take Risks, Build Bridges and Break New Ground” (Praeger 2006) defines Edgewalkers as “people who walk between worlds and have the ability to build bridges between different worlds. They have a strong inner life and are very grounded and effective in the everyday external world.” There are five Archetypes of Change that people and organizations may take, depending on the situation. They affect the extent to which the individual or organization can truly be on the leading edge. The Edgewalker Archetype looks to the future and is focused on openness to possibilities.

“Edgewalkers” are needed now more than ever in the New Year, in the NEW ERA. How do you know if you are an Edgewalker – walking, working, living on the leading edge? I have a distinct memory of first hearing the word when my long time friend and colleague Dr. Judi Neal was writing the book and birthing the idea. I felt instantly connected to the word “Edgewalkers” and was excited that there was a term, a way of being that I could relate to. I have always felt different and lived out of the box. My whole life I sensed that I was called to do something something special in world. I live an unusual yet exciting nomadic lifestyle full of adventure, wonder, magic. My (w) holistic shift in perspective includes embracing diversity and assisting my coaching clients and organizations in bridging new ways of thinking and being. I seek guidance and make choices in my life and work based on trusting my strong intuition and living first from the inside out and then the outside in. I seek to walk between worlds as I integrate the spiritual and the earthly. My strong foundation is built on a rich spiritual life combined with grounded down-to-earth, strategic and practical skills.

As we bridge this pivotal time in the world, we can create our future and use the chaos and uncertainty we find ourselves in as an opportunity to break new ground and expand our possibilities. Edgewalkers are often global, Universal citizens who often have an unusual combination of interests, speak many languages and are familiar with many cultures. Strongly aware of the problems of the whole planet, Edgewalkers want to see more action taken. They are not afraid of risk taking, making changes and recognizing the importance of evolutionary transformation during this fertile time in history. As leaders they are different from the typical leader you might find in an organization. For example, they naturally listen beyond the words that are spoken and align their work with their deepest values. They are not afraid to explore new ideas and wonder about what the next new thing is in their field or area of interest. There are many Edgewalkers in the world. You are not alone. We are increasingly attracting and connecting with our “tribe”, our people, as we provide one another support, growth, collaboration, community and focused vision.

Fellow Edgewalkers we embrace you, celebrate you, invite you to join us on this evolutionary journey. Now more than ever this New Year is the perfect time, a New Era, to consciously choose and courageously contribute our innovative ideas, creative solutions, unique experiences, and Divine gifts to the planet. We are the ones we have been waiting for!

Connectedness and Oneness

Photo Credit: Gabriella Gould, Unsplash

By Judi Neal, Founder, Edgewalkers International

Over the past several months we have been sharing blogs on each of the five qualities of an Edgewalker: (1) Self-Awareness, (2) Passion, (3) Integrity, (4) Vision, and (5) Playfulness. Each of these qualities contributes to individuals and leaders being innovative, creative, and on the leading edge. We also shared the five skills of an Edgewalker, with today’s post being the last in this series: (1) Sensing the Future, (2) Risk-Taking, (3) Manifesting, (4) Focusing, and (5) Connecting.  In the Edgewalker book, this last skill was originally called “Appreciating,” but our research based on surveys using the Edgewalker ProfileTM confirmed that “Connecting” is the higher order skill.

We see Self-Awareness as the foundational quality of Edgewalkers. Without it, none of the other qualities and skills can arise at any meaningful level.  By the same token, we see Connecting as the essential outcome of being an Edgewalker.  Edgewalkers are the quintessential connectors. We define Connecting as:

The ability to see and build unique connections between people, tasks and ideas.

I would like to take this definition deeper and say that the skill of Connecting is based on a level of consciousness that sees the world as interconnected and at a profound level knows that everything is Oneness. This level of consciousness comes from two sources. The first is what I call a moment of grace. People often describe these as mystical experiences, where their perception shifts from separateness to being merged with everything. These experiences are accompanied by overwhelming feelings of bliss, joy, and love. Quite often, an experience like this leads a person onto the spiritual path and to a transformation of personality and life. Think of St. Paul’s “Road to Damascus” experience of the light.  We don’t earn these experiences and we can’t control them and make them happen. I think of them as gifts from the Universe.

Many things bring about these moments of grace; rituals, sacred spaces, or being in nature for example. They can also be a result of illness, near-death experiences, or great loss. It’s what we do with these wake-up calls that matters.  Research shows that an overwhelming majority of people who have near-death experiences come back knowing that they are here for a reason, even if they don’t know what it is. That’s what happened to me in childbirth when I was twenty-four years old, and at first, I thought I was the only one who had ever been sent back. It was such a relief years later, after reading Raymond Moody’s book Life After Life, where I learned that many people have shared this experience of dying and coming back. The key thing is that the experience motivated me to understand why I was sent back and to learn what is mine to do.

The second source of this consciousness of Oneness is some form of regular contemplative practice. We usually think of meditation, prayer or journaling as the primary contemplative practices. Fred Tsao and Chris Laszlo call these “practices of connectedness” in their book Quantum Leadership where they describe a vast array of practices beyond the typical ones, including Appreciative Inquiry, art and aesthetics, and shared group level practices. When I did my research for Edgewalkers, I found that the most common form of contemplative practice in the leaders I studied was what Tsao and Laszlo call nature immersion. Thich Nhat Han says even washing dishes can be a contemplative practice if you shift your attention to oneness with the soapy water, and a sense of service as you clean the dishes. New Year’s Eve, as celebrated in the Western world is upon us, and the majority of the human race is happy to see 2020 go. As we move into 2021, I encourage you to amplify whatever practices you have that lead you to a greater sense of connection and Oneness with the world. We don’t need everyone on the planet to see and live from this Oneness, we just need a critical mass of Edgewalkers, Shamans, healers, corporate change agents, spiritual activists, and artists to do their inner work so that our outer work together makes a positive difference. We also need to see our connection to one another and to know in our bones that we are a part of a greater emergence in the world of a higher level of collective consciousness. You are not alone.