What drives conceptual frameworks?

I was very pleased to receive your questions on the practical application of depth psychology to leadership development. As a global executive coaching enterprise we acknowledge, respect and engage with the many different worldviews of our clients. These are unique at the individual level, and are also informed by corporate and national culture.

A developmental perspective

A person's worldview will give clues to the forces which shaped and constellated it. Early developmental patterns often repeat, and key themes travel the generations, appearing and reappearing as though they have their own life. And so our worldviews and behaviours are strongly determined, and to some extent our conditioning drives our thoughts. Genetics, psychological type, the family, cultural, and corporate milieu all have similarly strong deterministic influences. Interacting with external stimuli, we form concepts which are more or less useful. (These are maps and not territory). To the extent that we acknowledge the forces behind our thoughts we can increase consciousness and transform self and others, generating new concepts from an inner and collective wellspring of creativity. This is transformational leadership in the proper sense. It requires self-knowledge and ego sacrifice.

A future perspective

There is much we do not know or understand about the mysteries of human experience and development. We sense a mystery, a benign force of free will informed by intuition, dreams, and creative urges which help us to transcend our pre set patterns, to approach a knowledge of self and to transform. Analytical psychology helps to free this natural process of individuation, to help us to become what we may. By following our vocations, we discover a continual flow of creative life energy. An appreciation of this energy and a meaningful connection with others is a gateway to quantum change, significant development beyond what we had imagined possible from our original conceptual position.

Transformational people transform organisations.

John O'Brien. Managing Director

Hanover Executive