Introduction
Sep 24th 2010
All of us face a stark choice in the world today: whether to continue with “business as usual,” or whether to try change things. Our species, and the many other species that we depend on and that depend on us, is endangered. What we consider “civilization” is, in many areas and in many respects, on the edge of collapse. That things “look okay” on the surface is deceptive; even very recent history tells us that things can change for the worse very quickly, while getting them to change for the better is a long and arduous process.
This book tells a number of stories about “leading the change,” that is to say, stepping out there and declaring that what one is up to is the difficult, improbable and possibly quixotic task of working to bring about a different future than the one where we are apparently heading. (Though in this context perhaps “tilting at windmills” takes on a different meaning.) It is personal, as really good stories need to be; it’s also universal, because there’s nothing in here that couldn’t be done by others as well or better. And some of the stories are indeed about other people, transformational figures whose life and work inspires and guides us.
But why a book about “leading the change”? What can we say that hasn’t already been said before? There are indeed many books about the fate of the world if we do nothing, and a few also about how we can take action and what others are doing. But even if we had nothing new to say, focusing on these realities and re-creating them is essential to our survival. And the fact is that the universe keeps unfolding, not the way we wish it would, but the way it does, so we need to keep paying attention to what’s happening and adjusting our strategy accordingly.
To be sure, we are mostly preaching to the choir — which as many pastors have remarked is how you get them to sing — but we’re also pushing the boundaries of what we already know, how we already operate, and who we need to be in order to make a difference to the world’s fate.
So if you want to do something about what’s happening today, I invite you along for the ride, and hope to open your eyes, minds, and hearts as we go along, and join with you in creating a new world for our children’s children and beyond.
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