Follow the Light Bearers

A radical different way to look at leadership and change.

A sense of wonder

When I met Elena Simons for the first time I was taken by her fragile and at the same time very strong spirit. She had a very independent mind and just started using art as a way to change the world for the better. She called her work fungement. She had a kind of insecurity about her and would ask many people for help, ideas or active support. And she got that. A lot. There was something about her that made helping her so much fun and easy. She had specials believes and we just wanted to make them come true. Up to this day there's still the shopping army of Cool Women (stoere vrouwen, dutch only site) that demand fair and healthy products in stores.

People like Elena, when she started Wonder, are those people, mostly very young, who have a delightful spirit. They walk around full of hope, believe and happiness. They are so radiant, they often feel like little suns in your life. The people that, when they smile at you, make you feel part of the good people. Like Elena, they are not bosses that order people around on projects, but people with dreams that they care about. And go for it. Take William Kamkwamba, who at 14, in a famine stricken community, build a windmill for his family.

They lead by asking for help and support, or just invite you to join the fun. They often have even have a sense of humility and follow an inner voice more important than their ego. They can also be children who are have a kind of radiant feeling of being truly alive around them. It doesn't say these people are perfect or always happy. They can also be children with the syndrome of Down, be autistic, or handicapped. It can also be adults who found it (back). Or aged old man and women, who smile at everyone, as if they see light in every living thing and being they meet. I call all of these very special people: the light bearers.

How do they make you feel?

Do you know such people, even if its only one? Picture her or him in front of you. It is the people you feel that have a gentle and often fragile constitution, which you feel drawn to protect their innocence. You notice they believe in possibilities, which you tend to doubt or think naïve, and then, they get away with it. If they ask you for help, you are immediately drawn to do so, just to keep their believe in dreams sound and alive. It often feels that when you help these people, that it's like a healing potion for the soul. You don't talk about this of course, because mostly you feel shy and embarrassed about this. It's too magical in a realistic world. And that is the point. This is about healing our souls, through the people of whom you wish, that their spirit never would be broken. What if we would all work together to make that so?

A very new kind of change making

What if we instead on focussing on problems, interests and political sides, we invested in supporting the light bearers. What if we supported and followed these people, instead of our so called leaders? It would be our own private decision to follow these special people. The light bearers of our choice wouldn't even had to know, they were it. Probably better for many of them, because then they would feel a pressure that would harm their free imaginative spirit. This also doesn't mean we should hide real life and problems for them. No, it was that we would help them with all our might, making their dreams for a better world come true. Here is such a world famous child, Severn Suzuki, talking to the UN, watched almost 20 million times. Great organisations started because of people like this. Check out this little story about a child whose actions changed their parents lives.

Severn Suzuki

When the light fades

Of course light bearers can be broken, or the light can fade. I have seen some meeting inner dragons, that brought dark moods upon them. Or they started to wonder too much about helping others. Or they suddenly notice everyone sees them as special and often expects them to be happy all the time. Nobody should confuse being a light, with being happy all the time. No, light bearers often experience pain many people don't, because they care. Allow that pain to be. It is a source of energy for them. Others just lost it, like the voice of boys breaks in puberty. That should be accepted. It happens. These former light bearers can, unless embittered or traumatised, become guides and coaches for other light bearers.

When pain doesn't energize

Then there's those that claim we need to harden people to the utmost. I notice these people are most often broken themselves. In children's movies they are often portrayed as the misguided adult or the nemesis often handicapped in embracing love in life. They want to toughen others up for the real world they'll say. Often we feel their jealousy or they really want to protect others from the trauma's they got. And in this process it is that they become the enemies, the destroyers they so try to protect young people from. That is the trauma, that you think your trauma is universal. It is not. Pain is universal and we do have a choice what to do with it. The hardeners are also the army sergeants 'strengthening' their men. Remember that these men who brawl about honor, prepare soldiers to survive, not to be alive, vulnerable and be a light. Light bearers will prevent wars, rather than seek to win them.

The infamous bully teacher in Roald Dahl's "Matilda"

How can we support light bearers?

Life is often difficult for Light Bearers; full of regulations that make no sense to them. They may have a point. Some just can't understand why homework is more important, than making a beautiful drawing for the master. Schools tend to break such spirits, just by sticking to a system, where people must learn to match the standards of that system. Here we need to bend the system. To me the light is way more essential, than the ability to meet the standard. To me that is so sad. Mind you, true light bearers will want to learn read and write, and learn and think about the world, because they care. Facilitate that process, rather than push and pressure. Push and pressure is for kids that don't have that light, that need structure to prevent them damaging things, mostly their own prospects in life.

Then there are some people, mentors, good friends of all ages or caring believers, who can even work like matches and set new light bearers aflame. Sometimes for a few moments, sometimes with a slow fuse that will b(l)oom only years later. Sometimes people will (re)discover the light through burn out or near death experiences. Some of these people will find lights, read new passions, purely for themselves. Others will find lights to follow for all those around them too. Separate the light bearers from those that suddenly go wild, pressure you to believe 'their' thing or feel anxious and needful to you. True light bearers will do their thing anyway. It is you who would feel inspired, invited and most of all happy to follow or support.

Don't seek to be a light bearer yourself.

And this is the paradoxal part. Don't try to become a light bearer. It's like wanting to become famous. Fame isn't a goal that works. Wanting to be one is mostly ego. Writing and singing songs that voice a deep truth you carry is. And even then, it is and always will be up to others if your message comes across. No one can claim to be a light bearer. It is always decided by others. At the least, for sure, I am not. I just noticed them around me and how I feel lighter when I help them. And even if I was one, I wouldn't want to know. I have a very inflatable ego that doesn't work well with ego boosting projections and high level expectancies from others. By the way, it is sad that those who never had a near death experience or burn out, never seem to learn from those who have had them. By following and supporting light bearers, these kind of lessons also will come naturally to us.

Play along to change the world

This is the new road to change that I propose. Help those who radiate light. Follow that light and keep it shining. That is when magic can happen, doors open you wouldn't believe possible to open and everyone gets touched in the place that matters the most: the heart. Be the kind of the adult that helped Severn Suzuki to travel to the UN or gave her that stage. Be touched like the adults of that 6 year old with cancer.

Princess on her throne in the 'Fairy Tale of Reality'

I have tried this and it has brought magic to my life. It has helped me to keep my own light burning. It has made me invest in an education that foremost believes in people. It has made me create a party called the 'Fairy Tale of Reality' in which a whole room of adults bowed to a little girl in a princess dress on a throne. It was in that moment that the adults experienced the magic happening. To bow with everyone may seem just 'play along' for the sake of a kid. It is way more. Through the bowing of everyone, 'playing along', we saw her face come alight with happiness. And that brought a smile to everyones face. It changed the room and got the magic of that afternoon going. Being playful and open to the unexpected all seemed okay from that moment on. And we all know we were in it together. That is how easy it is. Call it play along if you wish. It can enrich many peoples lives.

It is through helping tender souls to believe, that we set ourselves alight as well.

(Most) Leadership Trainings are b*#LL$h*t

Here are the promises of a fresh leadership training I saw a few people liking on the internet:

In 8 inspiring 2-hour meetings you learn by experience:
1) Who you are, what your talents are and what you want to do with them.
2) Valuable personal leadership skills such as Decision making, Professional Communication, Time management, Goal setting, How to inspire, Prototyping, Networking, Creating value, Listening and Dialogue and Keeping a work-life balance.

What a promises! They are too good to be true. I have big objections to this kind of "ego-penis enlargement" advertisements:

1.They make you feel good about yourself and blind about consequences. The words seem bright, underneath I sense they promise you a bigger ego and getting others to do what you want. Tasty, that sounds. A bigger ego-penis is nice. But if you want to have great sex, it pays of to invest in real relationships. Ah, I hear you think: they promise this too. No, they don't, they claim you can make others do what you want or use them for it. They make it sound like you'll be the only leader and there are no obstacles like better, different or conflicting plans out there. No, you just have to have a target, inspire, lead and get the result, and deal with all obstacles like a man. This is no leadership training, this is management training.

2.This is management training, working to get targets for a real leader. The invite says nothing about who you are leader with and or over? A big organisation probably, since it's not about starting your own tribe. You may end up as a manager working to make stakeholders happy. Happy by making profit, which makes the poor poorer, the seas dirtier and nature more disturbed. We don't know, because ethics is often not more than one little lesson of, a not too serious, warning and some good natured dialogue ("How do you think you'd behave in a situation like that, son?") You cannot learn ethics from talking nice about being good, because you don't know where you stand until someone puts a gun, black money or a monstrous target in your hands and talks nice about it. Often you won't even recognize the gun, until there's a body and smoke. And then with modern banking, you don't even get to see the countless bodies and the smoke. You didn't even know it was a gun, because you never questioned the context or learned to be really curious about what system you contribute to. You can claim you did your best for a good boss, who paid a decent bonus and made the targets. wow. That's second world war German officers speaking: "Wir haben er nicht gewusst." (We didn't know we were murdering all those Jews, etc.) Any leadership training that doesn't counter that kind of talk in advance is but a blind follower training.

3. Discovering yourself is not leadership, until you're confronted with your effects on others. Perhaps you object: learning about yourself and what you want is big already. Yes, and? I am a self inflated blast, thinking that's cool, my talent is sucking up, thinking its charm and negotiation talent and my goal is loads and loads of money with questionable health products, thinking it helps. Perhaps what I want is clear, and the idea stinks. We don't know. Learning about yourself should be include being confronted what impact you have on others. Its about realizing what you care about, and what that means for you, your loved ones and the whole world!

And 4. You learn all that in just 8 inspiring 2 hour sessions?? That's barely enough time to learn the idea of how some basic skills work. And self discovery takes a life time, with too many managers incapable of self reflection I wonder if they were ever really challenged on this subject. Or is this the kind of training that makes you say for ever after: "Oh. I learned all that once." and go back to sleep?

So is this a training to train real leaders or blind loyal managers, who learn what boss they want to please? Or does this training go back to the design table and starts to include curiosity and wisdom about the leaders role and influence in the world.
In our more and more interconnected world training corporate responsibility and full system awareness are becoming a necessity. If you don't train that, the whole leadership program is in the end just a moneymaking product. My question is: would you like to study at a commercial enterprise that boosts your ego or at a school with a vision. If you want your life to have meaning, you just don't have choice. It has to be the second.
We all can feel our future leaders need to be a bit more like these people were for their time and context: Mandela, Gandhi, Havel, Marten Luther King, Anita Roddick, Ben & Jerry or Richard Reed who started Innocent with others. As should any education aspire to be!

Good leadership trainings are not about getting things done through others, they should be about making a difference for your organisation, your clients and the context your live in, which is the whole world! Only then, yes, you may have to delegate a bit or even better learn to gather a tribe that wants to co-create a new reality.

I tell you, that last idea opens up my imagination quite a bit. So if this works for you, ask me for my new Imaginative Leadership program and if enough people ask, we'll create it together! Yes, together.

Underneath is what the words in the advert also mean in management speak. Under that is my proposal for a complete different kind leadership training.
Decision making: learn how to fire people to cut costs and diminish quality to increase profit.
Professional Communication: Keep a distance from feelings for people and impact of what you do.
Time management: get everyone to work harder, including yourself while avoiding a burn-out.
Goal setting: like the future is makable and targets make sense. There's enough evidence they increase disbalance.
How to inspire: read how to get others to do what you want.
Prototyping: testing your plans.
Networking: connecting to the people who'll help you rise in the ranks.
Creating value: branding, marketing, advertising. In reality value and values are there to live by. Creating values often reads as finding the story people might fall for.
Listening and Dialogue: as long as it furthers your interests.
Keeping a work-life balance: better keep partners happy, since stable relationships make better workers.

HOW I WOULD WRITE IT:
In a confronting 3 month full time training we'll challenge you to discover by experience:
1. to realize how you operate in the world, what impact you have and what you'd like to change and what you like to develop further about yourself.
2. to open your eyes to systemic understanding and the needs of the world. Discover what calls attract you to contribute to. You'll be inspired and challenged to find what gives real meaning in your life, to evade burn-out and discover what makes it all worth it for you and the world around you.
3. valuable modern leadership skills such as co-creation, followship, philosophy, self reflection, stewardship, personal vision development, communication and cooperation skills.

There is not an evil system, just a lot of people contributing to something wrong.

Why do they do it? Why would any young man knowingly shoot at any other young man on orders of someone else? Why would a young accountant at Anderson help to create the huge scandal that brought down Enron? Why would a Monsanto employee help to prepare unjustified law cases, against small uneducated farmers, in order to get ownership of their land? Why? Our system is broken and we, mostly, ignore it. Millions of workers in organisations contribute to questionable ethics or downright deceit or 'lawful' robbery. To get targets, by following orders, or just by doing what they are paid for, employees willingy and knowingly conceit customers and pollute the earth. Why would they? Don't they know better? Aren't there better options?
The effect of a organization, ideology, country on people can be very bad and dark. Especially in a criminal gang, one can only wonder why anyone would be an accomplice to that. So we should also consider why people support something we think is evil or very stupid.

How to make them open their eyes, change sides or consider their own role in things? Perhaps most of all we need to contact them as much as possible, as personal as we can get. Perhaps through a new media bombardement some of these guys will start to wonder. As we saw during the Arabic Spring, through new media, many soldiers of Kaddafi changed sides or deserted. Would you shoot at protesters if your mother would text ‘Don’t do it’, or only when she would text ‘Your brother is among the protesters’ At the same time we see all questionable regimes (whether corporate or national) hinder freedom of information traffic. And right they are, from their point of view. But we should wonder, which individual pulls the plug? What is he or she thinking?

Perhaps we should consider more carefully who helps them. Very rarely someone chooses a career that willingly implies hurting others, for no good reason than self enrichment. We happen to be born into a crime family, under a racist ideology, got a job that slowly makes us do things, we weren’t aware of before, etc. But while people may happen to get themselves in the role of Nazi (and such), here is how and why they stay. Here is a list character types contributing to evil, compiled from Movies, mostly cliché Nazi’s:

PLEASERS
Pleaser: “What shall I cook tonight, Herr Oberst?” He is part of a team and does what the rest likes, so they may like him. He has a very hard time looking victims in the eye before he kills them, but as long as his commanders and comrades are happy he can live with that. When they don’t look, he even may bring a prisoner some extra food to be liked by him as well.

Opportunistic Pleaser: “Let me find and kill those escapees for you, Sir.” The Opportunistic Pleaser will serve his master beyond expectation, as long as they are winning, and as long there are not too many different sides to please. May switch sides fast, when his side is very much losing the battle.

OPPORTUNISTS
Opportunist: “Defend the lines, while I bring these priceless pieces of art in safety.” The crooks in the system. Will solely use it for their own advantage, like the huge art thefts by the Nazis across Europe. Almost any corrupt system is led by men like these, who are often also the cause of its inner rotting down. They choose a winning side, use the mechanisms of the system for their benefits and don’t care about the effects.

Career Boy: “Should we not find and kill them all, Sir?” The Career Boy wants ahead and will do anything that proves his merit, as long as those merits point the way ahead. Other than the Opportunistic Pleaser he is even willing to betray his boss, if better opportunities arise. In many crime movies this is the young upstart overplaying his hand with too much treacherous ambition. He often doesn’t look above the horizon of the system he is in, as long as within the system there is enough to win. Loves the political power play.

LOYALS
Target Boy: “Burned down the targeted five villages, Herr general.” Give these men an order and they’ll do it, without thinking too much about ethical implications. These boys helped to inflate Wall Street beyond capacity, write great speeches for politicians they don’t believe in and will support any ‘Befehl ist Befehl’. Consider themselves very intelligent, but have closed eyes to their impact on others

Lonely Boy: (toasting) “Auf Uns, Kameraden.” (To us, comrads). Lonely Boy is the kind of kid groomed into gang life with the promise of it being family, while being used by the opportunists. More famous role in American Gangsta movies. In their fierce loyalty these people often think the company they work for is their family, until they are fired or the company is sold, which often breaks them for life.

Paradigm Prisoner: “My son, don’t be afraid to die for Hitler, it is the highest honor.” Whatever the story, some people are willing to believe it. They cling to false truths like it is the only thing that can bring order in the universe. They may be opponents, but they share the same prison: poor Republican voters thinking they are being cared for by millionaires, suicide terrorists pushed to sacrifice themselves, any angry hooligan believing he's justified because his friends say so, any criminal willing to sit for years to protect his boss and every CIA agent willing to torture and imprison without court case to protect freedom.

Loyal Soldier: “I put the Jews on transport, just as you ordered Herr Gerneral” The pure ‘befehl ist befehl’ type. He may even think: “If I don’t do it, someone else would and way more cruel than me.” They can’t imagine nobody else willing to do it and don’t dare to imagine what would happen if they refused. Often they are just in it, because this is an acceptable job and they have, or think they have, no other option.

SURVIVOR
Survivor. “I don’t care about those civilians on it. If we don’t blow up the bridge, we are lost.” He wears the uniform of his side and has acted for it. Now he feels threatened by the other side. It’s an ‘Us against Them’ world he lives in. They are against him. In his logic anything is allowed to make his side stronger. Easy target for unsound reasoning followed with questionable orders.


CRIMINALS
Loyal Accomplice: “I have an idea, how we can get your spoils of war safely home, sir” These are perhaps the worst of them all. They know the organization, ideology, leader is corrupt and doing evil stuff and still they help the best they can. Are they pleasers? Lonely boys? Puppy dogs? Can’t they think for themselves? Are they in it for their own bit of the treasure? Or are they honorably loyal, and just happen to be on the wrong side?

Sick Evil Bastard: “First I will shoot you in ze stumic and zhen I will take your bowels out, hahaha.” Finally the man who seems responsible for all the evil. He is not. His followers and commanders all play a part in the continuation of his sick power play. Any organization that embraces people loving to hurt others, or power play the doom of others is sick itself and in need of some waking up. Because first of all the stories of these people, is what make others rise in resistance.

HOW TO STOP THEM
Each of these types needs a different strategy to stop them or make them alter their course.
The Pleaser needs to be overwhelmed with new people to please, especially close friends and family. He must become torn between sides and start becoming aware, how much more people would be pleased if he started making different choices. Show him how happy you are with every little positive choice he makes.
The Opportunistic Pleaser must start to think the other side will bring his down soon and ramification of his contribution to his side soon will follow. Especially legally well prepared threats may make him think twice.
The Opportunist must be offered a better offer. As does the Career Boy, who also can be threatened with the message that if such and such comes out, his career will be destroyed. You might even offer him a leading position on your side. But never ever offer him to opportunity to sell you out. Better fire him directly when you fear he is on the edge.
Bring Target Boys in direct contact with the effects of their doings or show them how they will take the fall first, when the bubble bursts. Help them to become leaders in preventing the bubble burst, like with sustainable politics.
Be very nice to Lonely Boy, give him a better and more trustworthy family. Send him cards and flowers. Do the same with the Survivor. He is the kind of soldier that breaks when you put a flower in the barrel of his gun. Give him love. His current mind set can’t cope with that.
Paradigm Prisoners are very hard to crack. They don’t want to open their eyes. Their faith means order in the fearfull universe. This is probably why the Republicans attack Gays, Commies and other ideas so much. It keeps these followers afraid enough to keep their eyes closed. Don’t offer them the opposite. Show them the cracks in or effects of the system (also for their personal private life) and let them think for themselves. Show them how his bosses parade their wealth and corruption.
Offer the Loyal Soldier an alternative income or change the laws, that accept his work as legal. If this is not possible talk straight to heart and offer ways how he can give that shape, without direct danger for himself.
Offer the Loyal Accomplice a fatter price. If he stays loyal, he might, than just persecute and hope for the best. Finally whatever your cause, never ever agree to the contribution of a Sick Evil Bastard, because then, you will for others become part of ‘them’.

How to find out which is which? Well, try the different strategies on them all, and see who reacts on what. And most of all, the more dialogue, the better. A few years ago Shell send a high ranking manager to talk and investigate the eco protestors and slowly was won over to their point of view, which he now defends within the Shell system (as far as I know). This is a win for a more just and healthy planet too.

2012

Yo, 2012 the Year of 'Doom and Despair' or 'Global Transformation'??
On the one hand the crisis may get way worse, L.a. And San Francisco disappear in an earthquake and big rocks from the sky may fall on our heads. What can we do? Cry 'The End is Nigh?' At the same time New Age expects a great transformation towards a new era. It won't get here though sitting in circles burning candles with some prophets. What can we do? Since so many people expect change, hope for change and or are seeking signs of change in the sky or in our human awareness there is something we can do: Start the Change, Be the Change, Believe 'We are the ones we have been waiting for'. Because it might make difference. Because you might be warmly welcomed. Because it is both a necessity and an opportunity. Because its great fun being part of a meaningful experiment to change the world for the better. Whether you fail or succeed, I believe the reward is already in the going for it. Take the opportunity. Whatever the Mayans predicted, be part of the people who tried to tell the best possible story. It might come true.

Whistle blowers are traitors and obliging officials heroes. Is this true??

F#*K. Yes, a hard word for many and an easy word for just as many, perhaps even more. In the USA a soldier who leaked info to Wikileaks will get a life sentence for leaking. Yes, he may have endangered some lives. Yes, Wikileaks may have done the same by publishing those documents. But this is nothing compared to the numbers of real dead the USA delivered with the revenge attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan. The generals who ordered willingly bombardments against civilians will be honored as patriots who did the right thing for their country. The same people who blackened the global name of the USA to its lowest point ever. Thank you for the Bush era.
Whereas the actions of the soldier and Wikileaks may lead to improved, more honest and transparent politics. Many who condemn the Occupy movement cheer the rebels against Assad in Sirya. Are they not the same? Protesters with a cause? Or is there a difference in interest? How can we mistake the one for the other?

The Great Mix UP
In tribal times traitors were people who sold out their own tribe to the enemy. This I understand. If you sold out your tribe to the Roman empire and most of them got enslaved, that is a bad thing to do. But a whistle blower is not a traitor, but to disputable powers that be. In fact whistle blowers are people who try the serve the whole from an inner drive. A whole that didn't exist on this scale before in history. And our tribal instincts and existing organizations don’t know how to deal with it. We mix up loyalty and honesty.
Here is a way to untangle the mess.



Understanding who to follow or trust in our society
Disloyal and dishonest people are the criminals, the terrorists, the mafia, war lords playing rebel, etc. Persecute them! That’s clear.
The loyal and honest people are the best kind of citizens and civil servants. These good people abide by the law. Hoorah for them. They often abhor disloyalty, not abiding by the law. They see them as rebels against a good and safe system. And this is the mix up. How are the dishonest and disloyal distinct?

In fact we should abhor the dishonest or corrupted. They are the criminals within the system. The people that smile to you on camera and tell how much they care and then lose your money on a reckless investments killing economy and or environment. Civil Servants who play by the book, even when it is wrong. The industries who knowingly pollute the environment, within the boundaries of the law and even pay lobbyists to protect their interests. The Spin Doctors who manipulate the truth just because it’s their job. The ‘Befehl ist Befehl’ people. The people who torture, bomb, intimidate, indoctrinate others in the name of ‘good’ or justice.
These people will say they serve the common good, but in fact misuse the law to further their own interests or because they fear to question their orders out of self protection. These are the bankers that lost your money, these are the generals who fired upon their own civilians, these are the politicians who protect the interests of big corporations against the needs of the general public. These are the people that keep on polluting the world in the name of economical progress, because they are the ones making money on it. This is Berlusconi promising you, he will take care of you and then use your support to take better care of himself by throwing a party from your money with a bunch of young girls. And on the orders and outcries of these dishonest loyals we often prosecute the disloyal as the bandits.

Do you prefer unrest or playing along?
The corrupted loyals often will put up a straight face and play into our tribal instinct and point out the disloyal as traitors and bandits or worse. Hence the confusion, how can we distinguish a protestor or freedom fighter with a cause from a criminal or terrorist? Well it’s not because the one furthers your interests and the others damages them. A freedom fighter will seek the overcoming of an unjust rule and a terrorist will seek to damage anyone in vaguely connected to the enemy. Indeed many protestors discontent and attack the (not so) safe (anymore) status quo. They do question the stories we believe in. Often rightly so. The impact of dishonest self serving politicians, industrialists and white collar criminals is damaging the economy, damaging the environment we live in, in fact is damaging the planet. They bend laws, people and money to their own ends and claim it’s all for you too. Often you can’t see they do this, or you can play you don’t know, because attacking them makes you an outcast or a Honest Disloyal.

So who are the Honest Disloyal? They are the deserters in Libya who didn’t want to shoot at innocent civilians, these are protesters against child labour, wars, human slave trading, indecent banking, etc. These are the people who act against their culture and the laws to hide persecuted people, like Jews in WWII or slaves across the Southern USA. They are the ones who made female voting and education possible and who ended slavery. These are the Gandhi’s, Mandela's, Robin Hoods, Marten Luther Kings. These people take personal risks to make a difference they believe in. In fact these people are way more contributing and supportive people to their society than the corrupted loyals.

Why we need to support the protesters or the Honest Disloyals
We need to support them or at the least listen, because they seek to contribute from an idea or philosophy that makes sense to them. In our complex modern society we need protestors and whistle blowers like hell, even if they upturn many conventions. And if the action of one soldier leaking to Wikileaks can unbalance a whole country, what a sad fragile anxious and probably very dishonest system it is. If we keep on persecuting protesters like environmentalists, Occupy and whistle blowers as traitors, because the threaten your happy status quo, think again. They need not attack, they need dialogue, they want to improve things in a just way. We all benefit from a better, more healthy, more stable world that does justice to all inhabitants. If all is really fair, no system can feel threatened by the voice or actions of one man.

Crooks resort to violence, Contributers to Dialogue
Violence doesn’t start with protest, it starts with injustice and dishonest use of power in business and government. It's all those acts that create situations of unfairness. From the corrupted loyals, like dictators, we can expect violent protection of interest, starting with smart marketing and spin doctoring the truth. (Go Fox news Go, get paid to willingly spin doctor warped ideas of reality) From the honest disloyal one should expect a push for dialogue and reasons to rethink. Thus we have a new tool to review what happens in the world news. Those that use any kind of mental of physical force to protect interests are the real crooks, even if they have important positions within the establishment. Those that seek dialogue and are open to learn on how to improve the whole are the best contributors, whatever side they are currently on. They will only resort to violence when pushed too far. So governments should start dialogues as soon as possible with all protesters. Hitting down hard on people seeking dialogue is what dictators do, it is the tool of the dishonest loyals protecting interests. Thus we all should remember: it’s not loyalty that should be questioned, it’s whether you are contributing to the whole or not.

Mijn sollicitatie aan de gemeente Utrecht.

"If an idea is at first not absurd, then there is no hope for it." Einstein

OproepUtrecht heeft een stadsmagiër nodig. Ik bied mezelf aan.

Wat is doel van een Stadsmagiër?De stadsmagiër van Utrecht heeft tot doel het verschil te maken in projecten door het onnoembare, onmeetbare en onaanwijsbare in te brengen. En daarmee welzijn, welvaart en economie van deze stad te stimuleren. De Stadsmagiër is diegene die tussen alle niveaus en ordeningen door beweegt om dat zichtbaar te maken wat aandacht behoeft. Hij (of zij) geeft door wat anders niet bij het bestuur aankomt en brengt de verstoring die optreed door de meetbaarheidziekte en het daarbij behorende dashboard management een beetje in balans. Hij kijkt achter de feiten, tussen de regels, tussen wal en schip. Hij maakt zichtbaar en ervaarbaar wat wezenlijk verschil maakt.

Reden van het concept.Wie op een crisis reageert met kramp en bezuiniging verlengt de crisis. Juist door het gebruik van verbeelding kunnen we boven de crisis uitstijgen en lichtpunt worden voor het hele land.
De regering wil vreselijk veel bezuinigen op kunst en cultuur. Kunst & Cultuur zijn namelijk onmeetbaar waardevol. En waar menig manager nu ‘onmeetbaar = niets’ leest, leest menig kenner ‘onmeetbaar waardevol = ongelofelijk essentieel’. Hoe maken we dat duidelijk? Die vraag heerst in menig kunstenaarskring en ook in die van bezorgde (gemeentelijke) overheden. Zo heeft de Culturele Zondag in Utrecht het leefklimaat van de stad meetbaar verbeterd. Helaas zou je kunnen zeggen, dat Den Haag waarschijnlijk liever later meer geld uitgeeft aan onrust door onleefbaarheid, dan nu investeert in leefbaarheid, wat mij voor alle betrokkenen toch de betere keuze lijkt.
Hoe zowel in Utrecht als in Den Haag het belang van het onmeetbare op de kaart te zetten? Ik vermoed dat een zinnige dialoog en of fel protest onvoldoende zal werken. Het is meer van wat we al kennen. Dat gaat dus weinig verschil maken. Ik denk dat Den Haag pas kan luisteren door iets geheel onverwachts, onzinnigs, over de top te doen. Alleen zo kan de aandacht voor andere zienswijzen en aanpakken gewonnen worden. Door juist op provocerende wijze verschil (proberen) te maken kan ruimte ontstaan voor herwaardering van onmeetbare gevoelsmatige zaken waar we puur op intuïtie al lang zeker van zijn.

Hoe kan zoiets als een Stadsmagiër verschil maken?
Voorbeelden van de werkzaamheid van (schijnbare) frivoliteit:Gaudi. De kunst van Gaudi is van onmetelijke waarde voor Barcelona. Bijna geen enkele van zijn bouwwerken is op enigerlei wijze nuttig te noemen. De meeste zijn gratis toegankelijk en daarmee niet direct winstgevend. Maar hoeveel minder inkomsten uit toeristen zou Barcelona hebben zonder Gaudi’s werken? En zou Den Haag of Utrecht nu in een Nederlandse Gaudi durven investeren? Ik zeg, dat niet doen is nog veel stommer.
Guggenheim Bilbao: Bilbao nam groot riscio door een Guggenheim neer te zetten. Zinloze kunst volgens het huidige kabinet. Het Guggenheim is inmiddels dik terugverdiend door extra inkomsten uit toegenomen toerisme. Hoeveel toeristen trekt het Hundertwasser gebouw in Wenen of de Eiffeltoren naar Parijs? Nuttig is anders. De economische meetbaarheid dubieus, maar de toegevoegde waarde voor cultuur en economie van deze steden is bloedhelder.
De musicals van London of Broadway in New York. Wellicht verdienen deze zichzelf terug, wellicht niet. Hun aanwezigheid in deze steden geeft ze echter een voller gevoel. In die steden gebeurt het. Daar willen de toeristen zijn. Wij, in Nederland, willen dat gevoel blijkbaar niet, want wij breken de rosse buurt in A’dam af en verbieden toeristen weed te roken. Twee enorme attracties van A’dam verdwijnen. Ik ben benieuwd wanneer het pijn in de lokale en nationale portemonnee gaat doen.
Je eigen huis. Zouden diegenen die willen bezuinigen op kunst ook het vuurwerk oud en nieuw willen wegbezuinigen of de vrijmarkten op Koninginnedag? En schaatsen op natuurijs? Of zouden ze bereid zijn al hun eigen kunst uit huis weg te laten halen in hetzelfde percentage van de cultuurbezuiniging? Hoe zouden hun huizen er dan uitzien?
Sinterklaas. Genieten we niet van een nationale figuur als Sinterklaas? Een mythische figuur die boven en buiten de politieke en ambtelijke werkelijkheid staat. Zolang iedereen samen bereid blijft om het verhaal en het geheim van Sinterklaas samen te dragen naar onze kinderen toe, is er iets gezond in het land. En tevens geeft de Sint een boost aan de middenstand die soms een jaar lang reikhalzend naar dit feest uitziet. Die gezondheid wil de Stadsmagiër op lokaal niveau mogelijk maken. Hij creëert daartoe letterlijk en figuurlijk speelruimte in de samenleving.
Kortom, net als bij bovenstaande voorbeelden, levert een Stadsmagiër Utrecht geld, kunst en cultuur op, zonder dat helder is en aanwijsbaar is hoe en waarom. En precies dat is nodig om de waarde van het onmeetbare inzichtelijk te maken.

Wat is de Stadsmagiër en hoe werkt het?De Stadsmagiër is een gewoon mens. Hij durft anders te kijken en te doen. Waar hij kan neemt hij anderen mee in die blik en of helpt ze de werkelijkheid door andere brillen te zien. De Stadsmagiër ziet, denkt en handelt in positieve kansen. Hij opent soms een loket voor, door de gemeente, onbeantwoordbare vragen. Hij helpt mensen initiatieven te bedenken en ontplooien die henzelf, hun omgeving en daarmee hun stad constructief verder helpen. Daarmee is hij een van diegenen die de overheid van regulerend naar faciliterend helpt omschakelen. Daartoe helpt hij informele verbanden, methoden en netwerken die buiten bestaande officiële processen plaats kunnen vinden, zonder te botsen maar juist drukverlichtend.
De Stadsmagiër krijgt een woning en of kantoor op een vrije en zichtbare plek in het centrum, liefst een locatie zonder al te gemeentelijke uitstraling. Historie daarentegen kan veel helpen. Daarnaast krijgt hij een website en een stagiaire.

Waarom Floris Koot voor deze functie?Floris Koot bedenkt en ontwikkelt concepten die direct passen in dit concept. Hij bedacht vele event-concepten, waarin de deelnemers actief participeerden, gaf veel trainingen in creativiteit die mensen hielp de kansen in hun werk te vinden en hielp onlangs samen met Set-Up de gemeente Utrecht te gamestormen, oftewel na te denken, hoe games reële problemen kunnen helpen oplossen.
Een aantal van zijn concepten maken hem de ideale kandidaat. Zo organiseerde hij ooit het Sprookje van de Werkelijkheid, een interactief feest waarin kinderen volwassenen weer in mogelijkheden lieten geloven en volwassenen kinderen in hun kracht hielpen. Zo organiseerde hij ook het loket voor levensvragen, waarin kinderen antwoorden gaven op levensvragen van volwassenen.
Floris heeft tevens een groot netwerk. Kunstenaars, ondernemers, ZZP’ers, onderwijsvernieuwers, community builders, (voormalige) vluchtelingen, NGO’s op divers gebied, maatschappijvernieuwers, duurzaamheidsdeskundigen, enz. In veel kringen heeft hij contacten met mensen die graag bijdragen aan een betere, leukere, gezondere samenleving.
Floris Koot (52) beweegt zich al zijn hele leven op het grensvlak tussen kunstenaar, persoonlijk en groepsbegeleider, concept denker voor en met allerlei organisaties, van landelijke overheid en de top van Shell tot oudere politieke vluchtelingen en internationale business studenten.

Swarm leadership

What leaders can learn from impro theatre with big groups.

This summer I experimented with swarm leadership in theatre. It is interesting to see how it learned me a great deal about bigger trends, like Twitter or Wikileaks.
Since a few years I experiment with symphonic acting, many players working together to create one piece on the theatre floor.
For this they have to listen and be open to what is needed . Trying to be original or taking the lead for selfish reasons harms the cooperation and the end result. The best leaders are those the phrase what needs to happen, what is already happening but not yet seen or add an aspect that should not be missed out. In theatre this i saw this when a group of players was walking like sheep. Nice but boring. Suddenly some jump to being wolves 9they make it more interesting by adding tension) , they start to threaten the sheep, who moved backward in fear. The wolves enjoy this. (we know this, it's tension, but cliché) While the wolves enjoy the sheep suddenly pull guns from the air. (now it gets interesting) When one wolf raises his hands all follow. (nice, playing with the new tension) When the sheep want to kill the wolves, one sheep stand in between trying to save their lives. A new voice on the stage. Each action build on the last. This is what I saw happening on stage.

How does this apply to swarms in the big world? On Twitter, Google and You Tube we see all the time that certain movies or subjects are suddenly a big hit. Many wonder where this does come from. I think it really does have to do with the sheep in us. For survival reasons we need to keep attentive for fast changes and see where they go. In the forest it may be about wolves appearing, on the internet it may be trends that may make a difference. This is biological. So if there is no danger, and just a cute panda falling over on You Tube, the same principle applies. We follow the wind.
Most swarm leaders (leaders chosen by the crowd to be followed in what they say, do, sho or present) are lucky or have a nice offer. Esmee Denters sang so beautiful on You tube, it made her a career. Others bring in topics that like in symphonic acting phrase something new, of need or open us up to something already happening. This you can learn. For this it is important, like in acting, to balance between listening and aligning and phrasing it into the world. Going big with your own opinion or adding something original is not good enough. Here we can see the power of Assange in Wikileaks and his weakness. It seems the world was waiting for more insight in how their governments work. that made quite a wave. They are not waiting for Assanges moral opinions about it.
Think about this when you retweet or forward a mail. Why this, why him or her? What content do you help to go grow? What have you done, written, filmed that was retweeted? It pays of to be aware what people might actually be waiting for.
Yes, and it does help, if you have a sense of humor.
Try it.
And I may follow.