Learning
to be a leader who lives from a solid foundation of self-awareness is the
greatest benefit I can receive from my liberal university education. The
accelerating evolution of society and culture in the modern world demands that
liberal education evolve as well. New and innovative techniques are emerging to
teach leadership, which increasingly entails a wide variety of skills, such as
finding balance between emotional and interpersonal intelligences and
communicating through multimedia technologies like Second Life. I strive to
become a self-aware leader who lives a compassionate, balanced life, and who
inspires growth in both personal relationships and the global society. By
exploring my role model Ken WilberÕs life and teachings, I have been inspired
to explore myself, which has helped me to realize these goals. From the
previous role model assignments, I have learned that emulating a role model can
be impetus for self-development; that our experiment with Second Life was
valuable, though not effective as leadership training; and that balance is
integral to both multimedia writing and my personal vision.
Through
writing about my role model in P1, the first of this series of essays, I
learned about the type of leader I want to become. I revisited Ken WilberÕs
work and life story, which have been major inspirations for the direction I
have taken during the past year or so of my life. During his twenties, Wilber
began writing extensively and published several books of scholarly acclaim. He
read everything from biochemistry and social theory, to Emerson and Lao Tzu, to
enlightenment philosophy and Gestalt psychology, to mythology and medieval
transcendentalists. When he is researching for a book he tries Òto go through
two to four books a dayÉ. When IÕm writingÉ I work at a very intense paceÉ.
IÕll sometimes put in fifteen-hour days. I read hundreds of books during the
year, and a book forms in my head – I write the book in my head.Ó[1] He has garnered immense respect for his
theoretical writing and research, yet his teachings are inspired by more than a
global bookcase.
I
have benefited from his intellectual work, but his approach to living has
revolutionized my life. Being a true leader entails that one not be satisfied
with mere ideas, and indeed Wilber is not. His academic achievements are the
residue of his true pursuit – Òself-awarenessÉ the foundation for the
rest.Ó[2] Wilber has cultivated self-awareness by
embodying many intellectual, psycho-theoretical, bodily, and spiritual
modalities. Yoga, weightlifting, Jungian psychology, Vedanta Hinduism, Zen
Buddhism, Sufism, and contemplative Christianity (to name a few) have all
cycled through his repertoire. Some teachers discourage this impure form of
practice; but for Wilber it has been a crucial process of defining himself.
ÒCross training,Ó as he likes to call it, has built the unique wisdom of
balance he shares with the world.
For
Wilber, successful living is founded on balance. His Integral Life Practices,
which I practice daily, create awareness of the multidimensionality of being.
By exercising my physical and mental self regularly, meditating, and doing
psychotherapeutic journaling, I have progressed toward my goal of balanced
self-awareness. Balance Òcommunicate[s] the image of the whole to every separate
portion, till that whole becomes in imagination like a spirit, every where
pervading and penetrating its component parts, and giving them one definite
meaning.Ó[3]
That is, each portion transcends its partialness by contributing to a greater
whole. Words can combine to form a sentence, and a sentence has properties and
meanings that none of the words have individually. Similarly, exercising body,
mind, and spirit creates a richer life than any one of these pursuits can
alone. For example, Wilber has empirically demonstrated that people who
meditate and lift weights progress through contemplative stages more quickly
than people who only meditate. Since I have begun cross training, I have
experienced the personal growth indicated by these results. Leading a balanced
life will aid me in fulfilling my personal vision.
Meditation
has become an integral aspect of my personal vision since Ken Wilber has
influenced me. An example of his contemplative virtuosity and the incredible
transformative powers of meditation are demonstrated by his ability to halt all
brain activity (Video 1: http://youtube.com/watch?v=LFFMtq5g8N4).
Two exercises from Ken WilberÕs Integral Life Practice have especially helped
me to cultivate compassion, which is vital to my leadership and personal
visions (Video 2 http://youtube.com/watch?v=0IMxgUZJ4tA&feature=related).
The first is a meditation in which you actively transform othersÕ suffering
into love. Breathe in their pain and blow back to them waves of pure,
unadulterated love. This is compassionate exchange. The second technique
developed in Ken WilberÕs Integral training program is a writing exercise to
sublimate negative unconscious drives. By acknowledging character traits in
others who irritate us, we can learn to see those qualities as aspects of
ourselves. Through this recognition we are able to inhabit and own the discordant
characteristic. We learn to love fellow human beings by recognizing them in us
and by withdrawing our projections from them. Compassion comes from inhabiting
othersÕ perspectives. When you stand in anotherÕs shoes, not only can you see
yourself, you can commiserate with another way of life. Perceiving with otherÕs
eyes provides understanding, the seat of compassion. I am motivated toward
unconditional love by following WilberÕs example, and his techniques are
helping me create what I seek.
By
learning from Wilber's example, I hope to find the balance between introversion
and extroversion. Wilber has demonstrated that these two qualities can coexist.
His years of practice have taught him to love all beings equally and yet not to
attach to any of them. The bodhisattva vow calls him to the aid of others while
preserving a profound sense of equanimity. This balance between active love and
detachment (not dissociation) is a struggle for me. I have a tendency to fall
deeply into introspection and neglect the world, which is problematic. Of
course the opposite extreme is equally troublesome. But Wilber has shown me
that introspection and extroversion are really two poles of a spectrum and that
by acknowledging both opposites, we can strive to find the middle. We can elect
Òthe conscious generation of creativity by dwelling on the interdependence of
apparently mutually exclusive opposites and the larger whole which contains
them both.Ó[4] Finding
balance is a process, not an end. ÒPersonal vision is not static,Ó and this
balance, as both a personal goal and a guiding characteristic of my leadership
vision, Òshould continue to evolve.Ó[5]
Filling
the leadership role I envision for myself involves learning from my exemplar,
but it involves learning from others as well. It is valuable to recognize what
many leaders from various backgrounds and in various domains of life have
contributed to improving societies. By reviewing my fellow classmatesÕ writings
about their respective role models, I have gained insight into what makes an
inspiring and invaluable contributor to the world. Gandhi is such an important
historical figure not only because he Òtried extremely hard to bring the
different people of India together,Ó but also because he Òinspired [other]
leaders by ÔÉcreating resonance and moving [them] with a compelling vision or
shared missionÕ[6]Ó (Avni
Mody). By reminding people of a greater purpose in life – one that large
numbers of people could connect with – Gandhi was able to mobilize a
peaceful movement for human rights and unification that would immeasurably
improve Indian society. A true leader, one whose acts will continue to benefit
society even after he is gone, knows how to empower those around him. Mary Kay
Ash, for example, improved the lives of fellow employees by choosing Òto bring
morality to the work place and thus empower women to succeed in a balanced
mannerÓ (Hannah Chesser). Both Gandhi and Mary Kay motivated other people by
promoting principles they believed necessary to a fulfilling life. I can learn
from them, among many things, strength, certitude, and the courage to proceed
with a vision.
But
becoming the leader that I want to be also involves emulating people close to
me. Gandhi and Mary Kay Ash have inspired thousands, but they have not impacted
my life in so personal a way as friends and family have. DanielleÕs role model
is her father. His Òunending enthusiasm and love for each member of his familyÓ
(Danielle Oxford) are sources of utmost admiration. I aspire to become a leader
who shows as much compassion as DanielleÕs father does. Compassion and
unconditional love are also qualities I practice by integrating Ken WilberÕs
work into my life. Just as Danielle finds warmth and caring in her father, I
too find these qualities in my mother and father. The effort they have put into
supporting me and guiding me toward my current place in life cannot be
overstated. Their lives inspire me personally, as though I could touch their
stories, in a way Ken Wilber, Mahatma Gandhi, and Mary Kay Ash cannot. Becoming
the leader I want to become entails heart-to-heart relationships. Mass societal
movements may be the ones recorded in the history books, but every single one
of them begins with an individual relating to others the best way he knows how.
All of
this talk about emulating great leaders is significant for our potentially
constructive, though unsuccessful, experiment with Second Life. Second Life is
a multimedia program for a multimedia world, an attempt at integrating many
necessary skills, such as computer skills, communication skills, leadership
abilities, creativity, and discovery learning. This process is in accord with
the core purpose of a university education, which is to train individuals who
will benefit society. As Peter T. Flawn announced in his annual address to the
UT faculty, Òpublic universities exist to serve society,Ó[7]
which means producing people who know how to live and lead in the contemporary,
ever-developing world. Graduates must be fluent in the language of technology
and computers and be able to communicate with facility and tolerance. When they
can, Òthe doorway to rapid, intentional 
evolution
of liberal education opens.Ó[8]
Reaching others through multidimensional means – intellectually,
emotionally, visually, aurally – is a skill that must be taught by
universities if they are to fulfill their goal of benefiting a society now
constituted of people who are Òcreators and empathizers, pattern recognizers,
and meaning makers.Ó[9]
Second Life reality, however, does not translate directly into this life
reality, and it will never be able to transcend its virtual limitations.
I
say our trial was unsuccessful because it did not fulfill its
leadership-teaching objective. Second Life is not an effective means of
embodying traits exemplified by our role models and necessary for the success
of contemporary leaders. Each of us had to know our role model well enough to
converse as he or she would, and I believe we all did. Unfortunately this
didnÕt mean that we actually behaved as them. At the conversationsÕ start, I
strongly intended to speak as Ken Wilber would. But as the interactions heated
up, the mask would melt away, and the puppeteerÕs own prejudices would be
revealed. I periodically forgot that I was Ken Wilber. This, however, did
reveal an interesting tidbit about the degree to which I have absorbed my role
modelÕs teachings. If I were to relive one of the conversations and remember to
remain Ken Wilber throughout, I donÕt think much of what I said would have
changed at all. Though I had unconsciously fallen out of character, I still
managed to quip, Òinterpersonal relationships are vital to a strong leaderÉ the
mind cannot blossom Ôby itselfÕÓ (Sprinkles Timeless, Chat), a particularly
Wilberesque phrase. So while Second Life may not have actually forced me to
play virtual Ken Wilber, it did show me that Wilber has become a regular part
of the way I think and act.
This
has led me to the conclusion that our Second Life experiment was valuable
because I am convinced of the Òsympathetic imaginationÕsÓ potential to
encourage personal growth. By acting as our Second Life-replicated role models,
we sought to create a virtual world in which we could practice being leaders.
We attempted to embody our exemplarsÕ characteristics in our behavior and
interactions. ÒBy actually entering into the object, so to speak, [one can]
secure a momentary but complete identification with itÓ (the sympathetic
imagination), which was precisely our practice with our exemplars.
This is worthwhile because
temporary states can, if they are entered frequently enough, become traits.
That is, 
by
temporarily adopting our role modelsÕ characteristics we can learn to live as
they do. By embodying characteristics that I do not possess but that I admire,
I practice creating the life I want to live. So although I believe that our
particular SL experiment did not teach applicable leadership skills, I did
learn that by engaging the Òsympathetic imagination,Ó we begin to make our
aspirations our reality.
Furthermore,
our role model experiment in Second Life confirmed my belief that the skills
required for virtual life do not translate directly into real life competences.
I believe that our SL experiment did exercise certain leadership skills, such
as the assertiveness needed to maintain germane discussion. But by no means did
SL exercise the comprehensive range of skills needed to be an emotionally
intelligent leader as proposed by Goleman et al. I exercised no self-awareness,
nor did I apply any emotional intelligence. In fact, emotion is nearly
impossible to convey in this format. A leader in SL influences a cardboard
world that is predictable, safe, and completely intellectual. Even so, I think
that Second Life taught me some valuable lessons. I learned that I strongly
dislike competitive, one-sided interaction, and I further confirmed my desire
to find a balance of intelligences in my own life and in my interactions with
others. ÒWe should take care not to make the intellect our God. It hasÉ no
personality. It cannot lead, it can only serve,Ó[10]
and unfortunately it was the only intelligence employed by Second Life. Ken
WilberÕs work has helped me to discern imbalance in environments such as this
one, and it is to his work that I return, rather than to the glitches and
artificiality of a simulated world.
Besides
the aforementioned benefits of emulating my role model and leaning from my
Second Life experience, processes of creating P1 and P2 taught me the value of
balanced multimedia presentations and techniques by which I can improve my own
writing. I have had to articulate the weaknesses in othersÕ papers and learn to
incorporate suggestions into my own.
By grading other studentsÕ P1 and
P2 papers, I saw the benefit of seamlessly integrated text, images, and video.
Both of DanielleÕs papers incorporated well-placed images that clearly related
to the text. With graphically depicted ideas, DanielleÕs papers were
accessible, persuasive, and generally more effective. Will cleverly integrated
his captions into the images themselves, which subtly contributed to his P2Õs
polish. From reviews given by my peers, I have learned that I can improve my
writing most by smoothing transitions between paragraphs, excising superfluous
verbiage, and better integrating images and captions into the textual body of
the paper. An essay is more effective if its paragraphs cohere smoothly.
Arguments can be convincing if they are seen but cannot be if they are hidden.
I am learning the balance between the occasional poetic flourish and
unnecessary ornamentation, between extending ideas and hindering them with
excess baggage. The importance of balanced writing is analogous to the
advantage of balance in any endeavor. A balanced multivalent approach to both
writing and living is more successful and fulfilling than a monochromatic one.
A liberal
education can teach essential leadership skills that are widely applicable,
even in virtual domains such as Second Life. SL is an interesting approach to producing leaders for the
benefit of a changing society, but it is not effective. I learned much less
about leadership from Second Life than I have about writing from editing P1 and
P2 papers. For leaders in our forward-racing world, virtual interactions may
enhance their leadership capabilities, but they will never match the importance
of an emotionally aware and balanced human being. I have learned that
self-awareness is the foundation for strong leadership in all endeavors. Ken
Wilber has helped me to realize my leadership vision, and as I learn from him
how to embrace balance, self-awareness, and compassion, I increasingly create
the type of life I want to live.
Word Count: 2457
List of Illustrations and Videos
Figure 1. http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/e/5/3/highres_67763.jpeg
Figure 2. http://www.thegreatstory.org/charts/spiral.jpg
Video 1. http://youtube.com/watch?v=LFFMtq5g8N4
Video 2. http://youtube.com/watch?v=0IMxgUZJ4tA&feature=related
Figure 3. Snapshot taken in Second
Life
Figure 4. Snapshot taken in Second
Life
Figure 5. Snapshot taken in Second
Life
Figure 6. Snapshot taken in the
classroom
Figure 7. Snapshot taken in my dorm
room