The Necessity of Empty Spaces

> Could performance be improved by your slowing down rather than speeding up?

> How do you create the necessary space for others to catch
their breath?

Leaders who want to release the full potential of others create room for them to breathe. They know how to open up space, not just fill it up. Slowing down to go far, taking “time out” in order to be more engaged, choosing to stop and think rather than just keep on keeping on – these practices are counter-intuitive for those caught in a “performance trap”. Fear and anxiety often prompt even more relentless activity, not less.

The purpose of this retreat is to realize a more powerful presence in the world by finding and using “empty space” even in the most driven and hectic work environments. Renewed purpose and new energy result. This is not business as usual. This is a retreat typically convened in a remote setting rather than the usual conference facilities.

Using diverse traditions and experiences, Steve guides you in exploring four related themes: the signs of emptiness, the fear of emptiness, the power of emptiness, and the fullness of emptiness.

You will be invited to bring a specific professional or personal dilemma to “hold” throughout the retreat. Steve facilitates inquiry and reflection using a distinctive methodology he has created called Disciplined Inquiry™. It has demonstrated power to shift and reframe assumptions and uncover new solutions. Derived from the well established practice of the “Clearness Committee” in the Quaker Community, it is a proven means for accessing a deeper wisdom to deal with dilemmas or paradoxes that can stall or derail progress toward ultimate goals.

>> The Necessity of Empty Spaces retreat can help you:

• Pace yourself and others more effectively.
• Refine your understanding and use of “empty space” for positive results.
• Reframe how you work with a pressing problem or difficult dilemma
• Apply new skills of inquiry and dialogue on the job or wherever your leadership is required.
• Find your moving center and lead from it.

Courage is required to step back without backing up, to let go without losing control, to open up an agenda rather than fill it up. Such behavior represents a rare but essential leadership competency required to enable and enliven others at work and beyond”.