The stone carving heading each page is from Newgrange, an ancient Neolithic burial chamber older than Stonehenge.  The chamber was so cleverly designed that to this day a narrow shaft of light shines deep into its core chamber at a very special point in the year – the winter solstice.  So at the heart of winter, when all is dark and slow, a beam of light marks the tipping point where days once more begin to lengthen towards the promise of abundant energy in the summer to come.  Another turn in nature’s cycle of death and rebirth.

On many stones in and around the chamber there are carvings with contrasting curves and angles.  The spirals have a feminine flowing character suggesting a going within, reflection – suggestive of gaining insight and emerging wiser.  The chevrons have a directive, masculine quality suggesting definite purpose and decisive action, doing, moving, achieving.  Perhaps our ancestors appreciated the value of both and the part they played together in nature’s ongoing cycle of growth and learning.

This resonates strongly in our modern world where we aspire to have a healthy balance in how we lead and live.  In a fast-moving world of complexity and ambiguity where poor decisions can have painful unintended consequences, more than ever leaders need to…

…invest in developing their insight, allow it to inform their actions, and allow the results of their actions to inform their insight. 

Living this cycle of developing and applying wisdom is the challenge of todays’ leaders, if they are to manage theirs (and our) resources sustainably.

Perhaps this is what our ancestors knew all along?!