Restoring Sanity

Having left my computer flex in London on a recent trip, I was able to sit out in the garden and read this brilliant book in a sitting. Its fundamental contention is that we need to restore sanity by awakening the human spirit and create what she calls Islands of Sanity as a gift of possibility and refuge generated by the commitment to form healthy communities and do meaningful work. This requires 'sane leaders with unshakeable faith in people's innate generosity, creativity and kindness.' In this respect, and quoting William Ophuls, it is important to understand that Western society as a whole is in the final stages of disintegration and collapse, in spite of our flashy technological progress. All cultures disintegrate from within when they reach the stage, as Edward Gibbon put it, where 'prosperity ripens the principle of decay.' A further starting point is that leadership has never been so difficult, given the multiple crises we face in systems that strive 'for obedience rather than contribution, choosing greed and power rather than inclusion and engagement.' (p. 13) This gives rise to patterns of fear and self-protection.

It is not a question of fixing what is wrong and solving problems, but rather of working together in creative and generous ways. The first part outlines the process of restoring sanity, while the second describes practices to awaken generosity, creativity and kindness (defined on p. 28). All this is based on 50 years of experience working with leaders and organisations – I read and reviewed her book Leadership and the New Science when it came out over 30 years ago. The Network itself can become an island of sanity where humans become fully human – work requiring devotion, discipline and faith and 'that takes form from our intentions and aspirations.' Change is an iterative learning process, where a deepening of self-knowledge is essential if we are to become 'Warriors for the Human Spirit.'

The second part explains detailed practices that can be used to create islands of sanity, move from reactivity to responsiveness, and engage creatively with the challenges. Meg elucidates the pattern language of her design principles involving diversity, inclusion and equality, noting that 'whatever the problem, community is the answer.' She rightly notes that people seek support from networks, interest groups and communities of practice where they can affiliate with like-minded others for mutual support and inspiration based on coherence and integrity. Islands of sanity are consciously set apart from the current culture's destructive dynamics, which means that they must be based on constructive and dynamic processes for establishing group identity. We also need to overcome the feeling of being threatened by difference, and, in this respect, Meg provides five sequential stages for solving complex problems. The book contains a wealth of tried and tested strategies that readers will find highly relevant both personally and for any organisations in which they are involved. Absolutely essential reading for our time.