Many years ago my partner Judy and I sold our city home in order to travel for a while. We bought a small motor home and packed it with those few books and music recordings that we most treasured. As we attempted to fit various items into the small containers in the van- I recalled the words of the Catholic teacher and mystic Meister Eckhart who once wrote; "The soul grows through subtraction, not addition."

To ease our uncertainly we called ahead to friends scattered along our imagined route. Perhaps they would offer the companionship and support we would depend upon along the way. But none called us back.

Another colleague, sensing our confusion said; "This is not a holiday! You need to burn your old clothes - this is a time to travel with a candle, not a flashlight."

We did not understand what she meant. But we had no choice but to follow her advice. And so, early one cold, dark, snowy November day - we set out on a course unknown- not sure until we came to a crossroads whether to turn east or west.

As we traveled, one thing became clear. With the light of the candle we needed to proceed with a certain restraint -sensing what felt right each step along the way. This required both humility and tenderness in the face of uncertainty, a sharp contrast to the common way of achieving our goals through force and determination.

Since that time I have thought and worked with leaders on what it means to lead in a candlelight and flashlight world. There is Chinese proverb that says that a wise traveler has not plans. Is it possible that in order to engage complexity the same might be said of leaders? That alongside planning control and measurement, the leader also needs to light a candle and the finely - tuned sensibility to feel their way.

Common Myths of a Flashlight World

We are still being educated for the industrial world. It is a world of false certainties and imagined fears that are predicated upon certain myths that we believe to be true.
These include;

The Myth of the Absolute Truth

With this myth we give up our inner authority in the service of an external authority. A flashlight world pushes us towards the hunt for one all encompassing Truth with a large "T". The assumption that it exists, and our search for it, blinds us to the subtlety and presence of our own truth - one that exits as a small "t'' but which, through increments both imperfect and incomplete, helps fit us for a more authentic life.

The Myth of Separation

This search for the absolute truth compresses our world into what is immediately before us and near at hand. We have no patience for ambiguity and uncertainties - and this separation often leads to the neglect of the 'other' or anything that is not in direct relationship to the absolute truth we seek. This leads, in turn, to a sense of disconnection from the whole, and in its place; the celebration of busyness, a sense of personal entitlement and a preoccupation with our private life.

The Myth of Efficiency

With the myth of efficiency we believe that everything is up to us. When we give up a trust or relationship in the other then - whatever grace we may have found is sacrificed to the dominance of planning, measurement, analysis and control.

The Myth of Scarcity

When the myth of scarcity is present we believe there is not enough to go around. Life itself becomes a zero sum game in which for one to gain, another must lose. Under these conditions, the whole must give way to the interests of the parts.
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Traveling by Candlelight- Learning to Re- mythologize our World.

We are between stories now. The world has become de- mythologized and we need to find a new story with which to re - mythologize it again. Many factors will contribute to the telling of this story. One factor involves changing the light we live and lead by.

We are entering a time when we need to look to the opaque dimensions of our pre-industrial world in order to find the key for engaging the complexities of a post- industrial world. The light of the candle makes visible this hidden world of wholeness - a complex mythic world rich with archetypal symbols and imagery.
As the shadowy dimensions of this world come into view - certain figures begin to stand out;

The Warrior

For example behind the myth of absolute truth are the archetypal image the warrior. The warrior takes a stand in service of our own inner truth and for the gift and uniqueness in oneself and in others. With the warrior we find the courage to let go of ideological truths in favor of our own embodied inner knowing. This archetype establishes, protects and holds the integrity of boundaries of the whole. It aligns us with our own inner nature and helps us act with coherence and integrity in service of our deepest work in the world.

The Lover

Behind the myth of separation is the archetypal image of the Lover. The Lover helps us establish an empathic connection to our world. It is attracted to beauty and stillness, to patience and to a receptivity for 'otherness' as embodied in the company of strangers and new experiences. In a time of dislocation, the lover instills a sense of hope and aspiration. By acknowledging the centrality of Eros and the sensual, the Lover brings balance and wholeness. It protects us from the isolation that an adherence to an absolute truth imposes upon us.

The Magician

Behind the myth of efficiency sits the Magician. The Magician offers detachment, perspective and versatility. In this manner, the Magician is the master of grace. Just as a musician knows that when they are playing, they are also being played, the Magician accepts the many alternative definitions of what is true. Through an expanded awareness and discernment, the Magician helps us recognize that we cannot control everything - that our hyper - efficiency and excessive control will inevitably lead to unintended consequences. By suspending our certainties and accepting the ambiguous nature of our world, we are available for surprise and the natural emergence of unforeseen opportunities.

The Sovereign

The fear of scarcity masks the archetype of the Sovereign, which embodies the energy of
abundance, blessing order, integration and new life. The Sovereign is the voice of hope, recognition and aspiration. It sees and calls out the gift of abundance in the other. In so doing it articulates the shared intention of the whole.

Conclusion

When these ancient and timeless archetypes are awakened in us, we can see beyond the fear of limitation. Together they form a commons of the imagination. Through their collective eyes we can see and engage a world of infinite complexity. In their presence we may also restore to the world of myth its true purpose, which is not to promote false truths, but to re- enchant out world with the experiencing of wonder and awe. Most important, it is to communicate intangible realities that cannot be passed along in any other way.

Note: These myths and archetypes are explored in further detail in my book Artful Leadership: Awakening the Commons of the Imagination Pianoscapes, 2006. In place of Warrior, Lover, Magician and Sovereign, I introduce the language of uniqueness, beauty, grace and voice.