Leading Comments: An Introduction to this Issue

Leading Comments / June 2008

Russ VolckmannWelcome to the June 2008 issue of Integral Leadership Review! I consider this to be an exemplary issue that is rich with material for anyone interested in the subject of leadership.

Mark Edwards and I continue our dialogue on meta theory in relation to leadership. If you are interested in theory and open to Mark’s extraordinary contributions through concepts and models, this is for you.

Lee Ann Mallory from Stagen Leadership Institute continues our Leadership Coaching Tips with practices “foundational in developing Integral Leadership capabilities.”

Fresh Perspectives offers two interviews in this issue. The first is with Rick Hatala, energy company CEO, and the second with Lillas Hatala, Executive Director of the Integrative Leadership Institute. The work they are doing in developing leaders and implementing the principles into organizations is encouraging to these eyes to behold.

Keith Bellamy (Integral for the Masses) recounts a conversation he had in New York with Robb Smith, CEO of the Integral Institute. Here you will find an update on the progress being made to move the Institute forward.

We have two elements in Kalman’s Kosmos in this issue. First, another of Mathew’s exceptional book reviews and, second, a response by Steve McIntosh to Matthew’s review of his book.

We have a series of articles that range from Mark McCaslin’s transpersonal leadership to Maureen Metcalf, John Forman and Dena Paluck’s approaches to sustainable transformation. Don’t miss A lain Gautier’s report-in-progress on Integral Leadership development programs around the world. And then Riane Eisler returns to our publication with Lucie Garrick to offer us guidance on holding “partnership conversations.”

We add a new series with this issue, Alan Tonkin’s Global Values Update. Here Alan offers us the fruits of his work on mapping values distributions based on Spiral Dynamics in countries around the world.

Laura Santana has given us permission to publish her student (PhD) paper on Integral Leadership; this work is an exploration of the literature and should be of value to students who are interested in leadership, as well as others who wish to explore the literature further.

In our Notes from the Field, we have reports from Turkey, Palestine, India, Canada and “Europe” that offer encouraging evidence that the application of integral and developmental approaches is breaking new ground around the world.

Announcements offer a number of interesting items from calls for papers to conferences. Finally, we take a look at a few publications you may find to be of interest.

We hope you enjoy this issue and find value added in your work and interests. Keep in mind that foremost the Integral Leadership Review is about using integral, developmental and transdisciplinary approaches to the practice, development and theory of leadership across all domains and everywhere in the world. We invite your contributions to this conversation. Each of you is a point of light in helping our world thrive. TheIntegral Leadership Review is one contributor to networking these lights around the world. Thank you for joining us.

> Russ Volckmann