Blog by Alan Seale, March 1, 2021, Transformational Leadership
As we anticipate the possibilities of emerging from this pandemic, what will we create going forward? And how will we do that? In today’s incredibly complex world, the more we view conscious leadership as energy in motion and understand how life works from a quantum perspective, the more we can make a lasting difference in our world. So, let’s talk about what that means on an everyday, practical level for leadership and service.
In my 2011 book Create a World That Works, I introduced the term Reality Field—a field of energy that shapes your presence and influences how you engage with the world around you. It’s created by the combination of your thoughts, feelings, emotions, beliefs, actions, and worldviews. As you move through your day and experiences, your Reality Field goes with you. It’s the energy that people pick up on when they are with you, and it influences how they feel when they are with you or think about you.
You, and, in fact, all of us, are creating our own Reality Fields all the time by the energy, attitudes, and worldviews we embody, whether consciously or unconsciously. Reality Fields are a fact of life. When you are intentional about how you focus your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and worldviews, and are fully aligned with a particular vision and calling, your Reality Field will manifest as a stronger, clearer, more impactful presence. When you are not conscious of how you are showing up, and when you are not aligned with a clear vision and purpose, your presence will be less compelling. You will be less likely to make an impact. It’s all about the energy and intention that you embody.
The facts are the facts. How people interpret and experience them will vary.
What is happening in any situation or circumstance—the objective reality—is simply the facts. However, your own “personal reality” of a situation—how you choose to interpret your experience of what is happening—is what creates your personal Reality Field. Your personal Reality Field will be shaped by the perspectives and attitudes through which you choose to view the situation. Are you viewing the situation from a big-picture view within a large context, or from a small-picture view where the context might be more focused on your personal agenda?
Creating an intentional Reality Field begins with consciously choosing how you will be present and how you will engage with what is happening. From this intentional Reality Field, you are more likely to consciously choose your response to what is happening rather than to react unconsciously in the moment.
When you are clear about what is important in the bigger picture and who you are called to be, and you are fully aligned with that vision, you embody that vision and awareness. As a result, you will bring a more intentional focus and energy into the situation. You may recognize that you cannot change the situation right away, yet you can choose how you will show up within that situation. You can choose how you will respond to what is happening; you can be intentional about the presence you bring to the moment.
The more intentional you are about the Reality Field you inhabit, the more successful you are likely to be in impacting the culture and situations around you. This is what it means to “hold space” for a situation, circumstance, individual, or group. It’s about being intentional about the energetic space you create and encourage, how you choose to show up in the moment, and how you engage with others. This is how you shape the culture around you.
Why is this important as we create a post-pandemic world?
The quantum laws of nature tell us that every situation is made up of energy in motion. Every situation exists within a field of energy that is made up of the vibrational frequencies and patterns of the circumstances and stakeholders involved. It is particularly important to recognize what is at the center of what is happening—the person, energy, or idea that is driving the situation itself. That person or idea is the primary influence on the collective Reality Field.
The collective Field is created by the people’s embodiment of the prevailing energies, thoughts, feelings, emotions, beliefs, and worldviews within that system. The collective Reality Field shapes the culture of the system as a whole. It influences how people are with one another—their level of trust, their sense of community, and their desire and commitment to care for the whole. Who the people are together will determine what they can create together.
The important key is this: Energy does not recognize hierarchical power, whether in a relationship, a family, an organization, or a country. In other words, energy pays no attention to who has the title of boss, supervisor, leader, or line worker, or who plays a particular role such as parent or teacher. What energy does recognize is presence, focus, intensity, and vibrational frequency and pattern. Energy recognizes Reality Fields.
Therefore, the person or group that sustains the strongest Reality Field over time, fueled by the greatest intensity of focus translated into effective action, will have the most influence in shaping the culture of a system. And, therefore, what happens within that system. That person or group will hold the energetic power and will be the driving force propelling things forward.
How do we make sustainable change?
Too often, when we don’t agree with an individual, group, or philosophy that is the driving force of the moment, we attack and fight against it. However, attack and opposition often actually energizes the force you are trying to change. You may make gains in the short term, yet attack and opposition may have limited long-term effect.
What could be possible if, instead of attacking and fighting against, we embodied a clear vision of a new reality, intensified our focus, continually aligned ourselves with that focus and intention, and translated all of that energy into sustained action?
In other words, what if we abandoned Reality Fields built on attack and opposition and put all of our energy and focus into embodying a new Reality Field built on creating something new that benefits all?
All of the possibilities for the future are present in the waves of the quantum field. When you create an intentional Reality Field by holding a clear vision, becoming fully aligned with it, and embodying the energy of that vision, you are much more likely to make choices, decisions, and actions that will create the optimal culture and conditions for your vision to manifest. As you continue to embody the energy and focus of your vision, you continue to intensify your Reality Field. This is the strongest encouragement and support you can offer to your vision.
This is how we can create sustainable change going forward. Whatever your vision or dream for today or for the future, understanding this aspect of conscious leadership as energy in motion is critical.
Transformational Presence is the foundation of conscious leadership. In the end, both Transformational Presence and conscious leadership are not so much about words or philosophies or even action. They are about the embodiment of vision and focus, and the creation and nurture of intentional Reality Fields. As a conscious leader, your Reality Field informs and creates your presence, words, and actions.
Wise words of Peter Senge, the founding chair of the Society for Organizational Learning, bring it all together:
Leadership is about creating a domain in which
human beings continually deepen their understanding
of reality and become more capable of participating
in the unfolding of the world. Ultimately,
leadership is about creating new realities.