1. A Deep Leadership – Social Ecology – Psychosocial Perspective
Enabling (Personal to Global) Meaningful Transformative Sustainable Change:
A Deep Leadership – Social Ecology – Psychosocial Perspective
Emeritus Professor Stuart B. Hill
Western Sydney University 1

2. In pairs, take turns (1 min each) to remember a place, experience, time (pre age 10) where/when life was ‘perfect’ – write this down for future reference 2

3. Presentation & workshop key topics
New approaches for effective visioning & goal setting
Getting to deeply know & challenge ourselves in new ways
Becoming better equipped to make responsible decisions that can yield benefits in all areas: personal, social (including economic), environmental & ‘spiritual’
First, some preparatory foundational understandings 3 3

4. Mentored by my grandfather, parents, partners, children, grandchildren, teachers, friends & nature4

5. Known & unknown/unseen
What is unknown
Engaged with through our
experience, intuition
& wisdom
What is known
The focus of our cleverness
The challenge: how to engage clearly with the unknown & mystical
André Voisin, Soil, Grass and Cancer. Longmans, London 5

6. 6

7. Attributed to Albert Einstein
Clever people know how
to solve problems
Wise people avoid them!
Attributed to Albert Einstein 7

8. Parallel interrelated change processes
What meaningful do-able initiatives can we take in each
of these areas to support ‘progressive’ cultural change? 8

9. A ‘life-enabling’ triple bottom line
(not privileging economics, & including the personal)
Planet, environment, ecological systems, nature, & all of life (have absolute requirements)
Socio-cultural: institutional structures &
processes in politics, economics, business,
education, technology, religion…
People: communities, groups, families,
individuals (you & me!) 9

10. Sustainable Unsustainable
Population activities (incl. relationships)
Resource need & use
Environmental impact
Population numbers
Population distribution
Sustainable Unsustainable 10

11. outside – inside – out ! 11

12. Person (genetics plus)
Understandings, Values, Morals, & Ethics
Actions
Past Environments/Experiences
Present Environment/Conditions
Supportive Oppressive 12

13. Establishment of compensatory selves (maladapted & in denial)
hurt, oppression (this has happened to ALL of us!)
adaptation (maladaptation)
core ‘healthy’ self/essence
repeated & new hurts & oppressions
Core
‘healthy’
spontaneous
in present
aware
empowered
loving
informed action
Maladaptive compensatory
patterned
in past/future
unaware
disempowered
fearful
acting-out/postponing
multiple selves
distorted potentially ‘healthy’ behaviour
superimposed ‘unhealthy’ behaviour 13

14. Most of the time we behave as if we
were hypnotised twice
firstly into accepting pseudo-reality as reality, &
secondly into believing we were not hypnotised
RD Laing 1971
The Politics of the Family 14

15. The Illusion
Advanced: technologically
also psychosocially? 15 15

16. We must recognise that we are evolving psychosocially
…& must plan & design better futures
rather than more efficient & controlled pasts 16

17. Hill’s ESR problem-solving/proofing model
Conventional P P
Efficiency P P
Substitution
Redesign/design 17

18. Levels of consideration for effective action
actions
answers,
plans
ideas, imaginings,
visions & creativity
(ability to design/redesign)
feelings & passions
worldviews, values & beliefs
Top 2 (or 3) overemphasised (start from the bottom 2)
(modified from John Herron, Feeling and Personhood. Sage, London) 18

19. ongoing co-evolution of responsible
5 overlapping stages in change (Hill 2005)
ignorance & denial (in any area: climate...)
awareness & acknowledgement
gaining some understanding & competence
effective action & project-based initiatives
ongoing co-evolution of responsible
life-affirming practices (how we now live) 19

20. 5 decisions to make re any change
what to stop doing
what to reduce/de-emphasise
what to do differently
what to increase/expand
what to start doing (new) 20

21. Decisions to make re change (cont.)
what will it take to do this?
what are the barriers & what will remove them?
what resources are needed & available (particularly locally) & how to get them? 21

22. Framework for envisioning & planning change Beyond average lifetime
5-10 years 1
year
2 months
week
Before going
to bed tonight
Self
Family
Work/Enterprise/
Business
Local community
Local landscape/
Environment
Strategic questions (Fran Peavey/Ron Hayman): What would it take to…….?
What gets in the way & what would remove these barriers? 22

24. One radical way to progress our thinking & action
is paradoxically (in a workshop context) to boldly ‘LIE'
about changes that you have already brought about
(that you have actually not brought about!)
Enables us to vision & act from our ‘core’ being (our benign potential); not from our maladapted/compensatory selves
By daring to engage in such 'deep' reflection & implementation
of meaningful doable initiatives, we can significantly contribute
to changing our lives & the world for the better
(rather than just tinkering with the status quo) 24

25. Establishment of compensatory selves (maladapted & in denial)
hurt, oppression (this has happened to ALL of us!)
adaptation (maladaptation)
core ‘healthy’ self/essence
Core
‘healthy’
spontaneous
in present
aware
empowered
loving
informed action
Maladaptive compensatory
patterned
in past/future
unaware
disempowered
fearful
acting-out/postponing
multiple selves 25

26. (using: words, facial expression, body stance)
LYING PRACTICE! – in pairs (1 min each), boldly ‘lie’ about – whichever one is the bigger lie!
(using: words, facial expression, body stance)
the completely healthy breakfast I had this morning
the optimal physical exercises I did before breakfast! 26

27. Your ABSOLUTE ‘LIE’ (in pairs: 2 min each)
Boldly LIE about one positive thing you have successfully done
(that you have actually not done!) to implement a really significant
‘ecologically sustainable’ initiative – remember to go with your
first thought – choose re which is the most challenging area!
in your: work – home – region – or other
(Remember: this is a complete LIE!)

28. 3 Effective Enabling Actions
What were the 3 things that were most
effective & important in enabling you to
achieve your ‘lie’:
They may be ‘internal’ (e.g., beliefs about yourself)
&/or ‘external’ (e.g., helpful supports etc.) 1 2 3 28

29. What’s one thing you have actually already
done, or are currently doing, that in any way
relates to your lie?
What might be a possible next step or action
that could help to make your lie become a reality?

30. Kurt Lewin’s Force Field Analysis
add
strengthen
Driving forces*
Restraining forces (barriers)*
*external
& internal
remove
weaken 30

31. Limiting factors for change
(the most commonly mentioned barriers)
information & access to it, misinformation,
knowledge, skills, competencies…
resources: renewable, non-renewable, technologies, money, time…
institutional supports: policies, programs, structures, services, legislation, regulations… 31

32. Limiting factors for change
(usually the more important barriers)
family & community support
empowerment/disempowerment
(feelings of helplessness/hopelessness)
awareness
vision & imagination
values, worldviews, paradigms, beliefs
persistent denial, procrastination & distractive/compensatory activities 32

33. How might/could you go about getting these things that you would need?
What would you need to have access to
in order to be able to take this next step?
(particular information, skills, resources, supports, etc.)
How might/could you go about getting
these things that you would need?

34. What might stop you? (barriers): external
(eg, judgements by others, lack of support...) & internal
(eg, fears, lack of confidence, postponement patterns…)
How might/could you get around & overcome these external & internal barriers?
(e.g., by reducing the initiative to make it more doable…)

35. What small meaningful, doable initiative(s) are you
willing to absolutely commit to? Over what time frame?
Who will you ask to be an ally to you & collaborate with you, in this project; & what specifically will you ask them to do?

36. How will you celebrate your progress & outcomes?
– so that others may learn from your initiative & experience? (to make such progressive change become ‘contagious’)
What have you learned from participating in this exercise?

38. Enabling Meaningful Change
10 Effective Actions for
Enabling Meaningful Change
mostly ‘different’ from the usual ones, which
tend to focus on actions that are:
single, ‘magic bullet’, temporary, local (vs. multiple, complex, long-term, permanent, global)
high-powered (authoritarian/physico-chemical),
heroic, exclusionary/experts (vs. low-powered,
subtle, bio-ecological/psycho-social, ‘anonymous’,
participatory)
enemy-oriented, symptom-focus (vs. recognition of problems as indicators of system maldesign & mismanagement…, causes focus/preventative) 38

39. & have a daily/weekly practice of doing this
Publicly (& selectively) communicate successes to enable their spread
& have a daily/weekly practice of doing this
& promote such sharing (may require
overcoming fears of being labelled a ‘tall poppy’!)

40. Reframe ‘problems’ as ‘indicators of maldesigned & mismanaged systems’
that require creative redesign
rather than as ‘enemies’ to be eliminated by curative interventions
& continue to develop & apply our ‘design skills’ (in every area)

41. Meet people where they are
ask them ‘strategic questions’ & listen to
their stories (rather than telling them what to do)
&, with them, identify their
doable next steps (however small)
avoid dreaming up ‘Olympic-scale programs’
that are unlikely to ever be implemented
& also programs to ‘measure problems’
(‘monitoring-our-extinction’ research!)
measuring problems is the commonest institutional
strategy for avoiding & postponing meaningful action

42. Model what you are advocating
& acknowledge & ask for forgiveness
for your ‘failures’ in doing this

43. Adopt a person with positional power
& provide them with a second chance
(opportunities to develop to their full potential)

44. Look for areas of success
& see if the factors involved can be applied
in other areas desperate for such success

45. Identify the most relevant, effective potential mentors
contact them, learn from them, & offer to help them

46. Communicate with & thank those who
have helped you throughout your life
& map & record these experiences & their
influences & share your stories with others (including your children, if you have any)

47. Recognise ‘opposition’ as possible
indicators of psychological wounding
& of subconscious cries for help
not as ‘enemies’ to argue with or overcome
so listen well to clearly identify their needs,
& do what you can to enable them
to get their needs met (& ‘heal’ their hurts)

48. Consider the complexity of the key interrelated influencing factors involved in any situation
(avoid the deceptive simplicity of seeing
any single factor as being the cause)
& critically select the ‘keystone’, personally relevant
& context-specific one(s) to work with first

49. 3 stages of perception deceptive simplicity: decontextual,
heavy-handed solutions (with unexpected disbenefits)
confusing (often paralysing) complexity:
puzzlement, endless studies, committees…
profound simplicity: ‘ahas’, elegant paradoxical
contextually-relevant ‘solutions’ (+ unexpected benefits),
e.g., using ‘love’ vs. ‘fear’ as the basis for ALL actions
the most appropriate actions in time & place 49

50. 3 forms of political action (old & new)
Supports (need to be ongoing)
education, demonstration & models
extension & other services
research & development
legislation & regulation
Rewards (only available during transition period
to prevent development of dependence)
tax incentives
subsidies
low interest loans
Penalties (for those who act irresponsibly)
monitoring programs
legislation & its implementation 50

52. Aids to Effective Courageous Responsible Action
Pause to reflect on your deepest values
Act on love vs. fear
Boldly lie about what you have done to act in
this way; then take a first step towards your lie
Help create the preconditions/supportive contexts for such action:
set up forums for discussion; ask ‘strategic questions’ (Peavey 1994)
Focus first on the ‘smallest meaningful initiatives that
you can guarantee to carry through to completion’
Collaborate to develop long-term, integrative, holistic
evolving plans that involve all of society, especially the media

53. Psychosocial evolution & transformative
institutional & structural change (above to below)
Socialising
(fear-based)
Exclusionary
hierarchical
(top down) social
institutions
Problem focus
(reactive)
Enabling
(love-based)
Participatory
social institutions
(co-operacy)
Deep
redesign/design
(proactive) 53