Environmental Leaders Get to the Root of Systemic Challenges
By Janice Molloy
Driving through the rolling hills of western Connecticut in early fall, it's impossible not to feel a strong connection to nature's rhythms. The leaves bear just a tint of autumn color, a harbinger of the blast of reds, yellows, oranges, and browns to come. Overgrown cornstalks sprawl along the side of the road, sp
ent but not yet ready to relinquish their hold on the sun. The setting and season recently provided an apt backdrop for a gathering of environmental leaders from around the world, whose training in systems thinking tools has given them new ways to understand, work with, and shift the patterns at play in the systems they care about.
The Donella Meadows Leadership Fellows Program was launched in 2002 to honor and build on the work of Dr. Donella Meadows. The winner of a MacArthur Foundation "genius" award, Meadows is best known as lead author of the influential book The Limits to Growth. The program's mission "is to accelerate the shift to global sustainability by increasing the effectiveness of well-positioned sustainability leaders. Fellows learn to address social, economic, and environmental issues at their root causes while benefiting from a national and international network of talented and supportive colleagues." The Fellows convene for a series of four four-day workshops, with ongoing homework and personal coaching between sessions. The fourth cohort of 20 Fellows will complete the program in 2010, joining 54 current alumni.
Last week at the Trinity Conference Center, nestled along the banks of the Housatonic River in West Cornwall, Connecticut, 15 former Fellows gathered for an annual alumni workshop. They came from seven countries and represented organizations from government, civil society, business, and philanthropy. Their work ranges from battling deforestation in Indonesia to facilitating green building design for one of the major U.S. architecture firms. All share a profound commitment to advancing the sustainability revolution from a place of spirit, compassion, truth telling, love, and integrity.
Over the course of three and a half days, workshop participants presented an overview of their current work, heard from speakers on leading-edge initiatives, and set the stage for collaborative projects. As during the Fellows Program, the three-legged stool of systems thinking, reflective conversation, and visioning served as the core foundation for learning. For this group, nature is not just the object of their life's work; it's also a teacher, model, and guide. One afternoon, artist Jay Mead led alums in creating art installations using materials found in the woods and along the riverbank of a local state park. The activity was designed to help participants experience systems in nature, observe patterns, and connect with their creativity.
Over the next several months, I'll be sharing stories and practices from this accomplished and inspiring group of leaders. Thanks to Edie Farwell and Dominic Stucker from Sustainability Institute for inviting me to help document this important work. I am also most grateful to the alumni who warmly welcomed me into their community.
Janice Molloy is content director of Pegasus Communications and managing editor of The Systems Thinker.