Wave Rider: Who is the self organizing?

[Larry Peterson]

Doug:

I can't reply for Harrison, but I have some thoughts on the importance of
"leaders" in self-organizing processes.  I think it is about articulating
the direction and the "boundaries" within which self-organization happens.  

I've recently been reading "Reinventing the Sacred" by Stuart Kauffman -- it
is a tough scientific read so I'll read it again.  He does make a strong
scientific case for "self-organization" from molecules up -- including
biological and human systems (like economies). He provides some "proof" that
systems are not reducible to quantum/physics phenomena.  He states that
cells (for example) self-organize the next level of boundaries within which
self-organizing processes happen and without the boundaries it wouldn't
happen.  Boundaries are clearly semi-permeable with their environment, but
real enough to give some definition to the reality.  

"Leaders", maybe, in human systems are those people who articulate both the
frame and the direction well enough to help create the conditions for more
effective self-organization in that direction.  Formal leadership can also
help by committing resources in a certain direction. Certainly the role of
formal leaders in organizations where I have opened the space have been key
to both event success and longer term engagement of others.

The other book I've read is "Hot, Flat and Crowded" by Friedman.  He clearly
believes that to more intentionally address the climate change crisis upon
us, a new regulation frame has to be created by formal leadership --
governments. (He has some understanding that this creates the conditions for
innovation.)  Otherwise, it will continue to be too easy and cheap to use
fossil fuels that we will not make the switch and the next 20 years are
critical to reduce the carbon and the number of climate change calamities
that will befall us (and keep us alive as a species).  Certainly the crises
won't be eliminated.

Now that my surgery is over and healing is on my agenda, I'm hoping to read
and think and contribute more.

Larry


Larry Peterson & Associates in Transformation
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
mailto:larry at spiritedorg.com   416.653.4829   http//:www.spiritedorg.com




 

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of douglas
germann
Sent: October-28-08 10:29 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Wave Rider: Who is the self organizing?

Harrison--

If we self organize our work, why do you make such a point that we did
not do it ourselves? (eg, Wave Rider, p 133) 

I suspect the answer has to do with debunking the notion that someone
did it for us: The Leader. However, in point of fact, the people
organized it, organically and largely unconsciously. That's what I am
seeing. In other words, you seem to be saying, in the realm of humans
working together, it was not done by just a few of us, but by all of us.
Yes? 

But if just a few of "The Leaders" did it for us, is it not because we
abdicated our role in the process to them? So even that is self
organizing?

When we are speaking of human enterprise, who is the self who organized?

			:- Doug.

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