A Talk With Judi Neal
The following are audio excerpts
from a conference call discussion with Author Judi Neal
(Judi’s bio & the full audio of the call is at the bottom)
Introduction - Paul Kwiecinski & Judi Neal met as part of a group that brought spirituality to their work
Group that originated as a peer coaching call morphed into a writing call - “Edgewalkers” was one of the results. (1:04)
Edgewalkers as a useful “frame of reference”…started from childhood…origins as “Fringe Element” (2:13)
Judi’s journey of spirituality and it’s impact on effectiveness - “having a foot in both worlds” (1:56)
Integrating both worlds - Is it two worlds? or is it one integrated world? (1:15)
5 Qualities of Effective Leaders - (1:13)
Nature as an Integrator - Source of Business Inspiration, Creativity, & Innovation (0:26)
Playfulness as an unexpectedly powerful business tool (0:49)
5 Skills & 5 Archetypes - Being fascinated with the future - To predict the Future is to Create it (7:02)
How to create positive change in the world - 5 Archetypes of change (7:32)
Call Participant perspectives on the distinctions brought up in the Edgewater book (10:34)
Full Call Recording (1:15:30)
Edgewalkers:
People and Organizations That Take Risks, Build Bridges, and Break New Ground
In ancient cultures, each village had a shaman or medicine man who would visit the invisible world to obtain vital information, guidance, and healing for members of the tribe. These edgewalkers have contemporary counterparts in today's organizations—those individuals who don't fit squarely into any one box; in their metaphorical travels they interpret trends from the marketplace, translate messages across departments, and envision the future impact of today's decisions and actions. Edgewalking doesn't come without its own risks and challenges; these unconventional people often clash with more traditional, rule-bound colleagues, and they are often frustrated by organizational systems that emphasize quantitative results over creative impulses. And yet in today's fast-changing, diverse, and globalized business environment, organizations must recruit and support these people in order to stay competitive. Featuring colorful interviews and practical tools to gauge and manage your own edgewalking skills, Edgewalkers explores the opportunities that are created by defying formal boundaries and fostering creativity at every level of the organization.
They're the first people to volunteer to head up a new business unit, lead a cross-company initiative, or take on an overseas assignment. They're the glass half-full folks, who are constantly thinking out of the box, forging alliances with colleagues in other departments, seeking out new solutions to old problems, and anticipating challenges on the horizon. And in today's increasingly diverse workplaces, they are often people who have pursued unusual educational and career paths, traveled widely, and speak more than one language. Judi Neal has a term for these people: Edgewalkers.
Literally, an edgewalker is someone who walks between two worlds. In ancient cultures, each village had a shaman or medicine man who would visit the invisible world to obtain vital information, guidance, and healing for members of the tribe. Today's corporate edgewalkers serve a similar function, interpreting trends from the marketplace, translating messages across departments, and envisioning the future impact of today's decisions and actions. Edgewalking doesn't come without its own risks and challenges; these unconventional people often clash with more traditional, rule-bound colleagues, and they are often frustrated by organizational systems that emphasize quantitative results over creative impulses. And yet in today's fast-changing, globalized business environment, organizations must recruit and support these people in order to stay competitive. Featuring colorful interviews with edgewalkers from a variety of fields and practical tools to gauge and manage your own edgewalking skills, Edgewalkers explores the opportunities that are created by defying formal boundaries and fostering creativity at every level of the organization.
Amazon Link:
Edgewalkers: People and Organizations That Take Risks, Build Bridges, and Break New Ground
by Judi Neal
Link: http://a.co/d/iGhmAxZ
Judi Neal
FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN
Author of Edgewalkers: People and Organizations that Take Risks, Build Bridges and Break New Ground, The Spirit of Project Management, The Handbook of Faith and Spirituality in the Workplace, and Creating Enlightened Organizations.
Dr. Judi Neal is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Edgewalkers International. She was the founding director of the Tyson Center for Faith and Spirituality in the Workplace at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas. Judi is recognized as an expert on spirituality in the workplace and speaks and consults internationally. She received her Ph.D. from Yale in Organizational Behavior. In 1988 Judi began teaching management at the University of New Haven. She focused her research on business leaders who have a strong commitment to their faith and spirituality, and began studying how they bridged the spiritual world and the material world of business. That led to her research on people she calls “Edgewalkers.” Judi was a co-founder of the Management, Spirituality and Religion Interest Group at the Academy of Management, as well as co-founder of the Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion, and the International Association of Management, Spirituality and Religion. She has published widely in the field, and is a popular and inspiring international speaker. She has consulted with major organizations such as Pfizer and General Electric as well as with small entrepreneurial companies and with non-profits.
“I am passionate about organizations and teams understanding the value that Edgewalkers bring to the workplace. Usually people who have Edgewalker qualities are seen as strange and they are often marginalized. But Edgewalkers are the ones that see what others cannot see, and they have a commitment to making the world a better place. We need our Edgewalkers more than ever in this uncertain and unpredictable world. The old ways of doing business no longer work, and Edgewalker leaders, and Edgewalker organizations can show us a new and better way.”