When a lot of intelligent, passionate and opinionated people get together, this is probably inevitable. I think this is especially true when people are emotionally invested in a certain outcome. Or when people enter into partnership with agendas. How do we take our egos out of the situation and just let things happen?

Good topic. What's going on when the Id is showing up at a team meeting? When one or more people derail the team's mission out of fear or desire? I say that something is missing to complete and/or integrate those ids that are acting up.

My question for the gathering crowd is about the organizational and leadership response to these breakdowns. That individuals on teams may struggle with personal issues is not surprising; we don't show up fully formed, the personal and professional growth of the team's members is a core activity, a key to learning organizations.

Ted has been inquiring into the connection between personal change and change in our local and global communities, and for me this is the connection. We work on ourselves not only for personal reasons, but because we need to master ourselves before mastering the work. Local community gels as enough local leaders (call them heros if you want, and I do sometimes) have grown to the point of being ready to lead in their local communities, and enough of those leaders are ready to lead globally. And as we transform our institutions this way, personal to local to global, those institutions are now capable of nurturing us as human beings. These institutions will also be capable of reproducing themselves, with current practitioners always bringing on apprentices, teaching them, testing them, and unleashing their genius on the work in their turn.

Good points, Gerry.

You might also be interested in loading the Advocacy vs Inquiry mp3 file onto your favorite device (whether branded or non-branded) and playing it at high volume while biking in heavy downtown traffic (just an idea)....

Yeah, that's about right most of the time ;-) I would never have an ego problem, it must be the other person. I'll let everyone chew on this for a while before attempting to reframe. Until we see each other as assets and not obstacles, it is very difficult.

>>>>>"Generic collaborator:

Yes, those people I'm trying to work with have an ego problem. They are not nearly as evolved as I am. They haven't done the inner work I have. They don't know themselves as well as I know myself. If only they would do that inner work, then we could work together and collaborate. Otherwise, I cannot work with them.

well, I kindda fall in here with T

and Gerry, everyone has ego problems, it's just that some of us are aware that ego only hinders us, and we do our best to keep aware when it creeps in, "The Law of the Hidden Agenda"

I think you misunderstood me, Brad, sorry for being opaque. Ted is saying the same thing. We all do it, deny it while we are doing it, and maybe feel stupid about it later when we remember. Always a work in progress.

got it :) yet my ego tells me not to post here anymore, because I am really p---off at ON right now! ;)

singing

Oh, Lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way.

My problem is that I am left wondering why no one seems to understand or get behind my brilliant vision.