Hello

My dear friend, Lisa Aldon, has developed a theory of leadership called transcendent leadership.  She thinks of it as the evolution of consciousness.

When we talk with each other I always call it transcendental leadership which makes her laugh.

When you think of transcendence, transcendent and transcendental they are similar in nature, in fact it’s a little difficult to tell them apart.  They are elaborate terms that describe a way of being that incorporates mindfulness, paradigm shifting, compassion and lovingkindness.

To transcend is to exceed, excel, surpass or go beyond.

Transcendence is mastery, or a state of existence beyond the limits of material experience.

Transcendent can be defined as surpassing or exceeding usual limits especially in excellence, or being beyond the ordinary range of human experience.

Immanuel Kant’s transcendental idealism is a system of philosophy emphasizing the spiritual and intuitive above the empirical and material.

Transcendental can also be defined as otherworldly beyond human experience.

All of these terms incorporate a concept of excelling in nature as well as a component of spirituality.

I think of this as an offshoot of mindfulness or mindful behavior, because mindfulness-in-action incorporates information outside the norm and integrates compassion, excellence in evaluation, and integration of the sensory information of mind, (body), and spirit.

Transcendent shifting is quantum in nature.  It’s like paradigm shifting on steroids.  It incorporates a gestalt of an experience and then moves the person to a new perspective.

Transcendence allows for, or is in response to, a release, a letting go or a shifting in what matters as an internal paradigm, that shifts the entire axis upon which a being sits, or the vision of the future. After which, a person feels completely and wholly renewed and rejuvenated, almost re-born into a new world.

Transcendence generally feels more like surrender than dominance.

The transcendental component – the spiritual and the intuitive – creates the space for transcendence.

Depending on the focus of the work, each day offers opportunities to create transcendent shifting and transcendence.

These elaborate words are actually descriptive of mundane everyday interactions when one is focused on mindfulness and paradigm shifting in interaction.

In human interactions  this may look like an opportunity to let the fight go by while going under the conflict to the threads of connection, (an action of surrendering that doesn’t mean giving in).  This is the action seeking understanding.

This is a spiritual paradigm rather than a singly focused ego action of being right.

Think of your relationships with those you love.   The paradigm to connect and know the other is greater than the need to prove you are right (or at least from a spiritual, mindful, broad-based perspective it is more harmonizing).

If you want to know your child and be a helpful person to her than understanding her perspective of a drama is more useful than telling her the right thing to do without hearing her conflict; or telling her it doesn’t matter.  This is true even if her conflict is with you.  She must feel the connection to you deeply and fully in order to trust you.  Furthermore,  in order for her to trust you, you must be trustworthy.  Trustworthiness is a function of being congruent and seeing/understanding/knowing her.  You cannot see her if you do not understand her perspective.

Understanding is  a transcendent action.  It requires the suspension of pushing toward one’s own beliefs and thinkings while attempting to make a connection to the other’s.  It is a gathering of information and increase in clarity that may result in an internal shifting and integration of the information so that the place(s) where the two paradigms are similar can be revealed or a new position can be attained.

This is mindfulness-in-action.  Perhaps, it is an evolution in consciousness.  What an interesting concept.

Think of these terms as you go through your day.  See if you can be them in your loving interactions and relationships.  You may find the world anew, and create your own transcendent leadership program in your own home and workplace.

See you tomorrow.

Beth