News > June
2005 Personal Midyear Update
Mark Gerzon, President, Mediators Foundation
The last six months have been a whirlwind, resulting
in extraordinary progress and extraordinary challenges.
Here are my thoughts on both.
Extraordinary Progress
Co-authoring pioneering book on "global
leadership."
Title: Leadership Is Global: Tools for A Small PLanet. To be completed by end
of '05. Edited by Thais Corral, Walter Link and myself. Essays from more
than a dozen GLN authors describing the unique qualities of leadership required
to deal with cross-border challenges such as global business, global warming,
global poverty, etc. First version to be published by December '05 funded
by the Shinnyo-en Foundation. .
Co-creating with Outward Bound
International the "Global
Leaders" program.
Launching a series of leadership workshops for "emerging leaders".
First pilot program to be for 20 leaders from around the world on Kilimanjaro.
Intention is to reach 1,000 participants yearly within two years.
Solidifying a learning community between 20-plus
practitioners from around the world.
Entering third year of meeting and collaboration to develop a cutting-edge
learning community on global leadership. Unparalleled depth of experience from
every continent and culture. Building deep trust and collaboration between
members.
Developing 360-degree global consulting capacity.
Prepared to work with clients, both private and public, that are developing
global strategies. Clients to date include family foundations and non-profit
projects. Preparing to work with corporations and other organizations developing
global strategies.
Planning GLN-related gatherings.
We have several gatherings in the planning phase: Sao Paolo (September), Bolinas,
California (February); and the Bellagio Conference Center (Bellagio, Italy),
to whom we have applied for support for the authors of the GLN book.
Extraordinary Challenges
Despite our efforts, we are facing a funding challenge.
We have begun to ask some tough questions about whether
philanthropy is the right model for sustaining ourselves.
At the April meeting we committed ourselves to becoming
self-sufficient in three years, with the intention of
seeking grants during the interim. But now we are considering
the possibility that we need to be a pay-as-we-go enterprise,
earning (like most of humanity) whatever we want to spend.
Since we have not yet harnessed our earning power, we
will, and must, continue raising funds for the short-term.
Much of my energy has gone into this, and will continue
to be devoted to this.
Because of the current situation, we are exploring how
the GLN and how it can develop a strong footing in the
marketplace of ideas and services. I think both our book
and workshop will be strong assets; but the challenge
will be sustaining ourselves until both of these projects
bear fruit. In the meantime, I find myself returning
to my original yearnings and visions in creating the
GLN: 1 - to support a truly global inquiry on what type
of leadership we need as a planet; 2 - to find a team
of global colleagues to share this inquiry and work together
with on initiatives we create together as a whole as
well as between some of us outside of the network; and
3 - to support other initiatives of members and other
organizations with our mission with knowledge, learning
and potentially in the future funding.
We are deeply grateful to all of the GLN members who
have helped move the network forward. I thank all the
book contributors of the fascinating essays that you
have sent in, or are working on. Thank you, Cliff, for
all the time you have spent supporting the overall network
process. Thank you, Walter and Thais, for your leadership
on the book project. Thank you, Kimani, for your leadership
with the Outward Bound International project. And thank
you to everyone who continues to hold the vision that
we share.
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