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The Awakening

"In mythologies, awakening is a form of initiation.  The eyes are opened to hidden mystery, seeing options and alternatives where none existed before.  The veil of ignorance is lifted.  Curiosity and hope rekindle the creative fire within.  The system is ready to shift out of automatic pilot.  The story of Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna from the Hindu tradition provides an example of the relationship between inertia and the awakening guide.  Beset by civil war, Prince Arjuna feels immobilized and unable to go into battle.  He is trapped by the dilemma of seeing family and friends in both armies.  The opposing armies are a metaphor for polarities, a classical mythological motif in transformation tales.  Steering a way between apparently irreconcilable opposing forces is the archetypal challenge for all mythological heroes and heroines (Campbell, 1993).

The call to help find a way out sets the stage for Lord Krishna (in the guise of Arjuna's charioteer) to begin the divine teaching that is the Bagavad Gita.  The awakening guide advises that, as a leader, Arujuna's job is to mobilize his creative energy, move out of paralysis, and do battle, however dire the consequences.  The injunction is to venture forth, even if the going is tough and unpredictable.  What Lord Krishna does is to provide a different perspective from which to see the world.

The lesson of this story is that, as intelligent systems, organizations and people know how to orchestrate help to remove themselves from impasse.  This help is usually right within them or around them.  However, the help or feedback you receive is not always the kind you want to hear.  For example, Lord Krishna does not tell Prince Arjuna he is excused from going forth to battle or that the outcome will be predictable and safe.  Confronting fears and jumping into the unknown are part of transformation.  The prince, fearing his call to action might cause himself or others to be killed, is an archetypal metaphor for the chief executive officer or the change agent in an organization.  Conventional wisdom suggests it is not appropriate for them to admit fear and ask, 'Can I really move forward?'  However, acknowledging the dilemma triggers others to come forward with new ways (Allen, R.C., 2002, p. 52-53)."

Reference:  Allen, R.C.(2002).  Guiding change journeys: a synergistic approach to organization transformation.  San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass.

When was your last awakening?

Guiding Change Journeys is available on loan from the Ohio State University Leadership Center.  To borrow this resource or any other resource please go to the resource search page http://140.254.85.212/winnebago/search/search.asp?lib

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Created: 2008-04-02, Updated: 2008-11-12