International In-house Counsel Journal

Vol. 3, No. 12, Summer 2010, 1

International In-house Counsel Journal ISSN 1754-0607 print/ISSN 1754-0607 online

EVOLVING LAWYERS into LEADERS:

„egotistic experts‟ to „integrative Leaders‟ …

ROWAN GILLIES

Leadership & Organisational Development Coach-Consultant & Trainer-

Technologist, and Mediator & Solicitor

“A Problem cannot be solved from the same level of Thinking that created it”

Albert Einstein

Health Warning : Dangerous Article

This Article is Dangerous to You(r Lawyer-Ego).

If You are:

heavily-invested in Your current sense of „self‟, and

don‟t wish to be subject to the inevitability of change, but rather to stay in

Your mental & emotional „comfort zone‟,

then PLEASE do NOT read further.

If, on the other hand, You are:

somewhat more creatively-curious & smilingly-adventurous,

wish to „dance at the edge‟ of Your & the existing Leadership paradigm, and

are open to experiencing egoic-discomfort & resistance (especially as a route

to development),

then read on, knowing nonetheless that Your perception of Yourself, Lawyers &

Leadership will never be the same again…

“The mind once expanded can never revert to its original dimensions”

Oliver Wendell-Holmes

2 Rowan Gillies

ABSTRACT

This Article:

is based on the latest science & personal research in various fields (including

neuro-science, adult developmental & positive psychology, leadership &

organisational development, etc), from various salubrious institutions (eg

Harvard, Oxford, HEC Paris, MIT, Pennsylvania, Chicago etc)

(playfully) provokes Lawyers, their egos & „pessimistic‟ disposition

questions whether Lawyers, as a class, have yet evolved to be true Leaders

points-out:

- that the potential for self-directed neural & psychological adult development

within the lifetime is now a recognised fact

- that „positivity‟ too is a critical component of such development

- that such 'development' is a reference to a 'vertical' development in cognitive-

based 'complexity', rather than mere 'horizontal' knowledge-accumulation based learning, - that university & business-based research shows that such 'complexity' development is what is needed to address the pressing Leadership issues of the day, and that the more 'complex' the Leader the more optimal the Leadership - that a technical expert approach to life & Leadership tends to slot into the lower-mid range of individual & Leadership development levels - that such vertical Leadership development may nonetheless be consciously cultivated - that such cultivation requires a very different approach to the conventional

'transmission' & knowledge-based approach to horizontal learning &training,

sets-out some basic aspects of such required approach for vertical development,

and

articulates that such development is needed if Lawyers & the Law are to fulfil

their potential role in the positive transformation & sustainability of our various

human systems

1. Introduction: Calling ALL Sceptics („FAKE‟ & „REAL‟) please…

Now, although (or maybe, because) this Article is based on cutting-edge research,

including from Harvard, MIT, Chicago, Pennsylvania, California etc, as well as personal

post-graduate research conducted by the Author at Oxford University (Said Business

School) & HEC (Paris), drawing from various fields, including those of adult

developmental & positive psychology, neuro-science, and organizational development…

…I am inviting, from the outset, all-round real, healthy scepticism as a basic premise.

And I know I WILL get „scepticism‟ from almost every reader.

Why?

Leadership 3

Well, as Lawyers, You are WELL-trained to be „sceptical‟…to be „pessimistic‟ (aka

„prudent‟)…and, it‟s no secret, the scientific research confirms it…

As Professor Martin Seligman, famed ex-President of the American

Psychological Association & founder of Positive Psychology, notes:

“Lawyers are trained to be aggressive, judgmental, intellectual, analytical and

emotionally detached. This produces predictable emotional consequences for

the legal practitioner: he or she will be depressed, anxious and angry a lot of

the time.”1

Indeed, in an analysis by John Hopkins University, of 103 occupations, only 3

of them showed statistically significant elevations of major depressive disorder,

and, You guessed it, Lawyers topped the list, suffering from depression at a rate

3.6 times higher than occupations generally.

And, “…by any measure, lawyers… are disproportionately unhappy and

unhealthy. And lawyers know it…”1

So, I am sure I WILL get „scepticism‟… HOWEVER as to whether it will be „REAL

scepticism‟ (ie balanced, all-round scepticism, including of Your OWN current views &

pre-dispositions etc), of this i am far less sure, indeed it seems prima facie unlikely…

So, as a hedge against Your likely „FAKE scepticism‟, I invite You (as You prepare-to-

read, actually read, & then reflect on Your reading of this Article) to be as consciously-

aware as You are cognitively able, of Your inherent predisposition to be unhealthily

sceptical by virtue:

of Your pessimistic Lawyer-ness (-see above)…AND

also just by virtue of Your being Human…because, as leading neuro-scientists

will tell You, our brain instinctively sees EVERY piece of data (other than an

infant baby and a beautiful person), as a „threat‟, and activates the old survival

1 MSeligman, „Authentic Happiness‟, 2002

4 Rowan Gillies

part of the brain, which reacts instinctively with a mal-adapted „flight, fight or

freeze‟ response. 2

AND, for You to also recognise that as You move-out from the illusory safe-

harbour of Your own mental „comfort zone‟, that You WILL feel

DISCOMFORT in Your thinking, feeling & sensing…AND that that such

discomfort is neurologically PERFECT, as it is highlighting that You are

actually physiologically growing new neural pathways in Your brain, which are

expanding Your overall resources & behavioural repertoire! 2

2 See miscellaneous neuro-science research; valuable references include David Rock, Dr. Dan

Siegel et.al.

Positive Response Positive Response Fight, Flight or

Freeze Response

„INFANT‟ „BEAUTIFUL PERSON‟ „OTHER‟

Leadership 5

2. A Superior “Splinter in the Mind”…

As Lawyers, a big part of our-selves knows that we are somewhat „superior‟… generally,

that is…and, specifically, to the other professions & trades…and, even to our clients.

We may not be able to articulate that sense of superiority very well, even to our-selves,

but it‟s there…sometimes just lurking in the closet, and sometimes coming boldly right-

out and letting deserving people (like family & juniors, and fellow-colleagues) know it…

And yet, despite that „knowing‟, sometimes, suddenly, we get that subterranean nagging,

a feel-ing that, despite all this superiority, somehow, well, we just aren‟t Leading our

Lives and our People (maybe, at home as well as at the office) as well, as effectively, as

we know we can…

Maybe it‟s like Morpheus in The Matrix movie, reminding Neo of that uncomfortable

feel-ing He gets that somehow there‟s something not quite right with His world…”the

splinter in the mind”…

Of course, yes, all of this is a projection…it happened to me. And, as i have long learnt

(much to my ego‟s disappointment), i am just not that special & unique, to be the only

one! ...

So, What do we do to become the Leaders we have the born potential to be?!...

3. Lawyer in Wonderland – through the Looking Glass(es)…

Well, let‟s hold-up some modern „mirrors‟…

3.1 Until recently in the West, some of the prevailing wisdom was as follows:

(a) That, neurologically, the brain was an inert & decaying lump of grey matter.

(b) And, developmentally, that adults do NOT cognitively develop in a real,

vertical sense :

Mental development/ complexity: The view thirty years ago

(Source: Prof. Bob Kegan, Harvard, Immunity to Change)

20 30 40 50 60 70 Age

[Figure 2: Age and Mental Complexity: The View thirty years ago]

Men

tal d

evel

opm

ent/

com

plex

ity

6 Rowan Gillies

In other words, that although, as we know, children vertically-develop over their

childhood, the recent view was that when we reach just beyond adolescence, our capacity

for development of mental complexity „flatlines‟.

Our mental grey-matter just stays as grey as it ever was!

3.2 Well, the latest research is turning all that old paradigm knowledge on its head,

showing that this is NOT the case, and that something very different is actually

happening…:

(a) Firstly, the neuro-scientists have proved conclusively:

that the brain itself is not just a lump of inert or decaying grey matter,

but rather actually grows, like a forest, so-called “neuroplasticity”,

AND

that the brain grows according to how You think…so Your thinking

actually rewires Your brain…in the directions of those thoughts... 2

(b) Secondly, the positive psychologists have proved:

that , in addition to merely just feeling good & halting negativity,

“Positivity” itself actually changes how Your mind works and

transforms Your future; it “broadens & builds ”, by opening Your heart

& mind, making You more receptive & more creative (ie „broadens‟)

AND that then also “allows us to discover and build new skills, new

ties, new knowledge, and new ways of being” (ie „builds‟ physical,

psychological, intellectual, social resources)3, and

together, that Positivity lights-up, exercises & grows the newest, most-

advanced part of the brain, namely the „pre-frontal cortex‟

(c) Thirdly, leading developmental psychologists at Harvard & elsewhere are

seeing this sort of pattern, based on over 30 years of research..:

3 Prof Barbara Frederickson, „Positivity‟, 2009

Pre-frontal

cortex

Leadership 7

Trajectory & Distribution of levels of mental development/complexity in adults

(Source: Prof. Bob Kegan, Harvard, Immunity to Change)

What is this graph showing, then?

That adults DO in fact develop in mental complexity over their lifetimes,

That such development occurs in 3 distinct, chronological stages (ie from the

“Socialised” (pre-Personal), to the “Self-Authoring” (Personal), & then “Self-

Transforming” (trans-Personal) Mind stages)

That fewer & fewer adults move through to the higher stages of development

4. Complexity Imperative: (Old Paradigm) Leaders needing New (Paradigm)

Minds...

Well, SO WHAT?!...

Well, according also to Dr Otto Scharmer of MIT, “The mismatch between

[high] level...challenges on the one hand and predominantly [low]

Level...responses from the mainstream of our institutions points at a pervasive

leadership failure. Leadership failure is the key issue of our time.”

And Why would this be?....Well, to Harvard‟s Prof Bob Kegan, the complexity

of the World now exceeds the mental complexity levels of us humans, such that

“we are in over our heads”...and that accordingly what is required is a “new

capacity of mind... a quantum shift in individual mental complexity across the

board...adaptive challenges ...can only be met by transforming your mindset, by

advancing to a more sophisticated stage of mental development...‟ And so, a call

to develop our employees & leaders up the levels from the Socialised and Self-

Authoring Mind stages into the Self-Transforming Mind stage...

8 Rowan Gillies

This focus on development of selves is further echoed by the doyen „Doctor of

Flow‟, Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi of the University of Chicago, who

doesn‟t beat around the bush:

„...the fate of humanity...depends on the kind of selves we are able to create and

on the social forms that we succeed in building. Certainly there are many

momentous tasks looking ahead in these perilous times...But no task is more

essential…than finding a way to develop selves that will support evolution. On

this depend all the other positive consequences…‟

So, what of the basic characteristics of selves as they move-up the stages? Well,

with each higher stage of development the individual‟s cognitive capacity is

more „complex‟, ie His perspective-taking, maturity of ego, meaning-making

system etc is more advanced, more sophisticated than at the lower levels. More

„differentiated & integrated‟. Access to intuitive-knowing & „wisdom‟ and to „in

the zone‟-„flow‟-states is enhanced.

Specifically in a leadership context, ex-Harvard Bill Joiner & Stephen Josephs,

authors of Leadership Agility, summarise their own independent research as

follows:

„In a nutshell, here‟s what we learned: As you grow

from one stage to another, you develop a distinct set

of mental and emotional capacities that enable you

to respond more effectively to change and

complexity…leaders become more effective as they

grow into the more advanced stages, because, in

doing so, they become increasingly adept at

responding to the degree of change and complexity

that pervades today‟s workplace. In sum, the

research shows that, as leaders move from one stage

to another, the level of leadership agility increases.‟

5. Microscoping-in on each of the Stages of Individual/Leadership Development

And so, what do each of these Stages of Development look like?

Well, although the scope of this Article precludes me from delving into much detail, let‟s

at least have a brief closer look...

And the most user friendly approach would be through the use of a Quick Reference

Table, which shows each of Prof Bob Kegan‟s broad stages of „Socialised‟, „Self-

Authoring‟ & „Self-Transforming‟ Mind, further distilled into more specific Sub-Stages.

These Sub-Stages are derived from detailed ongoing research conducted by

aforementioned Dr Bill Joiner & Stephen Josephs, ex-Harvard Dr Susanne Cook-Greuter,

Boston‟s Professor Bill Torbert, and others in the field.

See the Quick Reference Table as an Annex to this Article.

Leadership 9

6. And where do Lawyers “rank” on this Stage-spectrum of

Individual/Leadership Development?

6.1 Well, what do You think? Especially having reviewed the basic Table above...

So, when looking at this Leadership spectrum, consider where would You place:

Lawyers, as a generic class of technical professionals?,

Yourself?, and

The top Lawyer-Leader(s) You have worked with?

6.2 Email me at lawyerleader@gmail.comMy hypothesis, as a Leadership &

Organisational coach-consultant and based on approximately 20 years

involvement as a Lawyer on all the Continents is that:

Lawyers, as a genus, fall squarely within the lower-mid level, “Expert”-

stage, of individual & leadership development;

there are a sizeable minority of Lawyers who have/are transitioned/ing to

the mid-level, “Achiever” -stage;

a small minority of Lawyers have/are transitioned/ing out of the

“Achiever”-stage and into the higher “Individualist”-stage, and

there are a mere handful in the true top,2nd

tier, levels of Prof Bob Kegan‟s

Self-Transforming Mind...

Email me at lawyerleader@gmail.com to research this further.

There are arguably several notable examples of Lawyers who may be regarded as falling

within the Self-Transforming Mind stage, and yet those that spring readily to mind made

their mark operating primarily outside the confines of the profession (e.g. Thomas

Moore, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama...).

I hasten to add that I have also been blessed in meeting & working with some Lawyers

who, in addition to being highly successful in the conventional sense, are also likely

candidates for being categorised as being Self-Transformers.

(Watch this space as my ongoing research reveals more about this.)

7. How to Develop Yourself & Your Organisation up the Stages of Development?

Whilst the necessary pro-active evolution of Lawyers to Leaders will take effort &

application, there is much applied science highlighting:

that radical transformations may be effected in the individual, team &

organisational domains, and

what tools are optimal in assessing the status of development levels and

effecting such transformations.

10 Rowan Gillies

To be clear, such transformations are effected by applying very different approaches to

the conventional „transmission‟ & knowledge-based approach to learning & training.

For as various authorities remind us:

„Human capability will be the critical variable in the new century... we must

grow into our future possibilities...the challenge to change and improve is often

misunderstood as a need to better “deal with” or “cope with” the greater

complexity of the world. Coping and dealing involves adding new skills or

widening our repertoire of responses. We are the same person we were before

we learn to cope; you simply added some new resources. We have learned, but

we have not necessarily developed‟4

„Development‟ in this context refers to „vertical‟ rather than usual „horizontal‟

development, which distinctions may be briefly explained as follows:

“When we talk about development in the

context of human development, we

distinguish between horizontal and vertical

development. Both are important, but they

occur at different rates. The natural growth

and expansion happens through many

channels, such as schooling, training, self-

directed and lifelong learning as well as

simply through exposure to life. Vertical

development in adults is much rarer. It

refers to how we learned to see the world

through new eyes, how we change our

interpretations of experience and how we

transform our views of reality. It describes

increases in what we are aware of, or what

we can pay attention to, and therefore what

we can influence and integrate. In general,

transformations of human consciousness or

changes in our view of reality are more

powerful than any amount of horizontal

growth and learning.

Most learning, training and development is

geared towards expanding, deepening, and enriching a person‟s current way of meaning

making. It is like filling a[n existing] container to its maximal capacity. We develop

people by teaching them new skills, behaviours and knowledge and to apply their new

competencies to widening circles of influence. Vertical development, on the other hand,

refers to supporting people to transform the current way of making sense towards

broader perspectives [ie actually expanding the container itself!]. Development in its

deepest meaning refers to transformations of consciousness... Because acquisition of

knowledge is part of horizontal growth, learning about development theories is not

sufficient to help people to transform.” 5

4 Prof Bob Kegan, „Immunity to Change‟, 2009

5 Dr Susanne Cook-Greuter, Various Articles

Leadership 11

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

(Albert Einstein)

Whilst a rendition of what actions & interventions are applicable to move up the stages of

development is beyond the scope of this Article, it is nonetheless worthwhile briefly

noting some basic components, namely:

An integrative-approach,

creating bigger paradigm-maps (e.g. “A way of knowing becomes more complex

when it is able to look at what before it could only look through. In other words,

our way of knowing becomes more complex when we create a bigger system that

incorporates and expands on our previous system. This means that if we want to

increase mental complexity, we need to move aspects of our meaning making

from subject to object, to alter our mindset so that a way of knowing or making

meaning becomes a kind of “tool” that we have (and can control or use) rather

than something that has us (and therefore controls and uses us)”5

concerted & disciplined „being & doing‟ on not mere „cognitive‟ processing &

„behavioural‟ aspects of the individual human system, but also by an integrative

balancing of that with other key aspects, such as will-intention, emotive-feeling,

somatic-sensing, enhanced awareness/mindfulness & other positive flow-

„states‟, shadow work on the multiple-selves, etc.; and

including (in addition to „individual‟ aspects), the more-macro organisational

cultural-values, and socio-political-economic-environmental system

dimensions.

8. Conclusion

For Lawyers & the Law to be true leaders taking their rightful place as a positive

complexifying (i.e. differentiating & integrating) force in organisations and society,

Lawyers are going to need to consciously „raise their game‟...to move:

from a more narrow, problem/risk-focused, task-oriented, and linear-based,

intra-paradigm, cognitive processing approach, infused with a pessimistic-state

to a broader, outcome/opportunity-focused, multi-stakeholder oriented, intuitive

& trans-rational based, trans-paradigmatic approach, infused with a high

positivity state and awareness/mindfulness-sophistication.

In short, Lawyers need to evolve, to a “new capacity of mind”5...

12 Rowan Gillies

STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT

VIEW OF LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP AGILITY IN: SUSTAINABILITY

CONTRIBUTION PIVOTAL CONVERSATIONS

LEADING TEAMS

LEADING ORGANIZATIONAL

CHANGE

SO

CIA

LIS

ED

MIN

D

Dip

lom

at

Concrete

operations. Thinking about

objects, without

totality of whole structure.

Shows loyalty to chosen

group. Maintains order, avoids conflict & seeks

approval. Conforms to or

enforces policies, rules, social expectations of preferred

group. “Wants to belong.”

[Low incidence of mid-to-senior Leaders at this Stage – no detailed

analysis provided here.]

Upholds allegiance to

company/values. Attends to well-being

of others. Brings

stability/ supportive glue to the group.

SE

LF

–A

UT

HO

UR

ING

MIN

D

Ex

per

t

Abstract

operations. Begins capacity for abstract

thought, reasoning

by hypothesis.

Demonstrates specialist

knowledge and expertise. Regards craft logic as only

valid way. Detailed and

perfection oriented. Dismisses others‟ thinking. “Knows the

answers.”

Tactical, problem-solving orientation. Believes that

leaders are respected and

followed by others because of their authority and expertise.

Style is either to

strongly assert opinions or hold back

to accommodate

others. May swing from one style to the

other, particularly for

different relationships.

Tends to avoid giving or requesting

feedback.

More of a

supervisor than a manager. Creates a

group of individuals

rather than a team. Work with direct

reports is primarily

one-on-one. Too

caught up in the details of own work

to lead in a strategic

manner.

Organizational

initiatives focus primarily on

incremental

improvements inside unit

boundaries with

little attention to

stakeholders.

Contributes strong,

tactical ideas and solutions. Brings

efficiency and

continuous improvement to

existing procedures.

Adept with ideas, new

solutions.

Ach

iev

er

Formal operations. Abstract rationality

at its peak, coordinating logical

operations into

single system.

Achieves goal-driven success.

Conscientious and effective

delivery of results. Rationality, scientific method

triumphs. Sceptical where

things are not proven. Agrees to disagree. “Wins the game.”

Strategic outcome orientation.

Believes that leaders motivate others by making it

challenging and satisfying to

contribute to larger objectives.

Primarily assertive or

accommodative with

some ability to compensate with the

less preferred style.

Will accept or even initiate feedback, if

helpful in achieving

desired outcomes.

Operates like a full-

fledged manager.

Meetings to discuss important strategic

or organizational

issues are often orchestrated to try

to gain buy-in to

own views.

Organizational

initiatives include

analysis of industry environmental.

Strategies to

gain stakeholder buy-in range from

one-way

communication to

soliciting input.

Optimizes strategic

outcomes of current

systems, whether global or local. Uses

resources to best

advantage. Pragmatic use of data,

measurement,

analysis, prediction.

SE

LF

– T

RA

NS

FO

RM

ING

MIN

D

Cat

aly

st/

Ind

ivid

ual

ist-

Plu

rali

st

Meta-systemic

order. Comparing, contrasting,

synthesizing

systems in terms of properties.

Recognizes relativism of

positions. Distinguishes subjectivity of perspectives,

interpretation of experience.

Inward, introspective focus. Appreciation of self and

others‟ complexities. “Things

aren‟t what they seem.”

Visionary, facilitative orientation. Believes that

leaders articulate an

innovative, inspiring vision and bring together the right

people to transform the vision

into reality. Leaders empower

others and actively facilitate their development.

Adept at balancing

assertive and accommodative styles

as needed in particular

situations. Likely to articulate

and question

underlying

assumptions. Genuinely interested

in learning from

diverse viewpoints. Proactive in seeking

and applying

feedback.

Intent on creating a

highly participative team. Acts as a

team leader and

facilitator. Provides and seeks open

exchange of views

on difficult issues.

Empowers direct reports. Uses team

development as a

vehicle for leadership

development.

Organizational

initiatives often include

development of a

culture that promotes teamwork,

participation and

empowerment.

Proactive engagement with

diverse stakeholders

reflects a belief that their input increases

the quality of

decision.

Questions underlying

assumptions of the business. Adapts or

ignores rules when

needed, invents new ones. Brings greater

awareness of other

world views to bear –

may promote all voices, involvement,

equality.

Co

-cre

ator

/ S

trat

egis

t

Paradigmatic

order. Creating new paradigms out of

multiple meta-

systems.

Reinterprets and reframes

situations. Respects universal, most valued principles. Sees

relationships between large,

disparate bodies of

knowledge. Works with paradox and contradiction.

Seeks growth for all.

“Actualization of self and others.”

Oriented toward shared

purpose and collaboration. Believes leadership is

ultimately a service to others.

Leaders collaborate with other leaders to develop a shared

vision that each experiences

as deeply purposeful.

Integrates assertive

and accommodative sides in pivotal

conversations and is

agile in using both

styles. Able to process and seriously consider

negative feedback

even when highly charged emotionally.

Develops a

collaborative leadership team,

where members feel

full responsibility

not only for their own areas but also

for the unit or

organization they collectively

manage. Practical

preference for

consensus decision making but doesn't

hesitate to use

authority as needed.

Develops key

stakeholder relationships

characterized by

deep levels of

mutual influence and genuine

dedication to the

common good. May create companies or

organizational units

where corporate

responsibility and deep collaboration

are integral

practices.

Catalyses

breakthrough shifts, linking overarching

principles with

strategy, dynamic

systems interactions. Builds new

foundational

framework. Seeks mutuality,

recognizing

interdependence in

relationships.

Sy

ner

gis

t/ A

lch

emis

t

Cross-

paradigmatic

Integrating

paradigms into a new field or

profoundly

transforming old

ones.

Integrates multiple realms of knowing. Understands

inherent paradox in rational

thought, language. Sees complexity from post-

rational, spiritual

perspectives. Recognises ego

limitations, conditioned mental habits. “The map is

not the territory.”

Holistic orientation.

Experiences leadership as

participation in a palpable life purpose that benefits others

while serving as a vehicle for

personal transformation.

Centered "within" not "with" assertive and

accommodative

energies, expressed as appropriate to the

situation. Cultivates a

present-centered

awareness that augments external

feedback and supports

a strong, subtle connection with

others, even during

challenging conversations.

Capable of moving fluidly between

various team

leadership styles uniquely suited to

the situation at

hand. Can shape or

amplify the energy dynamics at work

in a particular

situation to bring about mutually

beneficial results.

Develops and maintains a deep,

empathetic

awareness of conflicting

stakeholder

interests, including

the leader's own. Able to access

synergistic

intuitions that transform seemingly

intractable

conflicts into solutions

beneficial for all

parties involved.

Generates transformations, often

behind the scenes,

integrating material, societal, spiritual

domains. Honours and

integrates divergent

perspectives, world views; coordinates

between and among

them.

Leadership 13

(Sources: The info in the Table is taken directly from Dr Bill Joiner & Stephen Josephs

“Quick Reference Guide to Five Levels of Leadership Agility” in their book “Leadership

Agility”, and blended with inputs (namely, the columns headed “Cognition” and

“Sustainability Contribution”, and the initial paragraph in the column headed “ View of

Leadership” ) taken directly from the Avastone Consulting [Cynthia A. McEwen & John

D. Schmidt] Article headed “Leadership and the Corporate Sustainability Challenge,

2007”, which in turn was derived from sources such as Prof Bill Torbert, Dr. Susanne

Cook-Greuter, and Brown. Thank You, we all stand on the shoulders of giants. )

Rowan Gillies is an international Leadership & Organisational Coach-Consultant,

Mediator & Lawyer, who previously practised law at various international law firms

(including Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom) as well as an in-house counsel &

regional board director of a leading multi-national.

Rowan now specialises worldwide as an independent leadership & organisational

development coach-consultant & trainer-technologist. (lawyerleader@gmail.com).

He has studied extensively in such fields including post-graduate studies at Oxford

University's Said Business School & HEC Paris (MSc), at MIT, and now at Harvard.

Rowan is also a facilitator/practitioner in various cutting-edge leadership &

organisational development tools & methodologies (from the neuro-scientific to the trans-

personal).

Rowan‟s life purpose is “evolving corporate consciousness” - developing conscious

leaders & organisational systems, by systematically & intuitively nurturing a full-range of

physiological, emotional, cognitive, & values resources, to elicit an integrally

differentiated & connected balanced system, conducive to intentional functioning at

optimal neurocardiological flow states, so as to deliver peak performance for all

stakeholders, commensurate with the ever-increasing complexity of the 21st century.