Upcoming events for personal development

Here are a few upcoming events and courses worthwhile to have a look at it.

How spiritual leadership can transform organisations
28. April 2010, 20:00 – 28. April 2010, 22:00
Where: Schaubacher’s Home – 347/8 av. Louise, 1050 Brussels
Speaker:  Danny Sandra
Organizer:  At home of Myriam and Daniel Schaubacher, 347 avenue Louise, 7th Floor, Brussels
Organisation: www.ebbf.org/events.html

Systemic NLP Practitioner
Gecertificeerde NLP-opleiding, start op 23 april 2010
Deze opleiding brengt NLP in de context van business (leidinggeven, samenwerking en organisatie-ontwikkeling).  Als nieuwe Systemic NLP Practitioner leer je hoe je NLP kan hanteren in je dagelijkse werk. Tegelijkertijd ontwikkelen we ons denkvermogen a.d.h.v. Systems Thinking-technieken, die we meteen kunnen gebruiken in ons management, advies, training en coaching-werk.  Hier zit meteen het grote onderscheid met ‘gewone’ NLP-opleidingen. Deze leggen zich vooral toe op het ontwikkelen van coachingvaardigheden. Met deze Systemic NLP-opleiding gaan wij een hele stap verder en bieden diepgaand inzicht in de menselijke psyche.  Daardoor ontwikkel je met deze NLP-toolbox mensvaardigheden zoals leiderschap, communicatie, verkoop, adviesverlening, coaching, strategie-ontwikkeling enz.  De volledige NLP-cursus duurt 19 dagen. Elk blok duurt 2 tot 3 dagen, telkens in een weekend.
Organisator: Ubeon
Trainers:  Annick Heyman en Stephan Vanhaverbeke

Systemic Constellation work and Inner Navigation

20 Days Certified Training Course, starts in May 2010

This introduction into systemic thinking and constellation work prepares you for the challenges of an ever more complex world. The interconnectedness of our life can not be grasped with analytical thinking alone. New ways of pre-sensing and understanding what is to come are essential for our effectiveness in a fast changing world.

In this training you will learn the potential of systemic constellation work as well as theory about systemic thinking. We will deal with questions of all aspects of your life as undue specialisation will not provide the fitness you need for global challenges to come.
Organiser:  Kernkracht
Facilitator:  Johannes Schmidt

Having faith

The past four weeks have been quite special.  First, my grandmother died quite unexpectedly.  She got a brain stroke and became braindead.  Finally, her body stopped breathing a few days later.  It reminds me that life is quite precious and that I should seize it every moment, in every breath.  However, I realize that I cannot control life itself. Instead, I can give it direction with the things that I want.  More recently, my wife’s grandfather passed away.  He has been in a terminal phase of his life for many weeks.  He was a very religious man until his dying day. What I admired, was the way he walked his path.  I have the impression that he did it very consciously, with a lot of courage and with an enormous faith.  I feel very grateful for this experience.  It strengthens me to believe, for having faith in whatever I want to do.  May they both rest in love and peace.

A true experience

My first participation to the conference has been a true experience.  It was great to meet so many wonderful people acting upon their faith and values. Or, in more difficult words: authentically living one’s values, attitudes, and behavior from the inside out.

I especially liked the remark of Swami Pragyapad, representing the IAHV Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, that people are losing faith.  And when you do so, people become depressed.  He further says: “Lack of human health leads to lack of human values. That is the crisis we are facing, and nobody is even thinking about this – the human crisis. Spirituality is the only solution.”  By the way, faith is one of the key elements in the spiritual leadership model that I’m researching.

Another person that touched me was Mrs. Sung-Joo Kim, who received the Ethics in Business Award for her exceptional commitment to social responsibility, especially in empowering women and young leaders.  It is woman of not many words, but a lot of deeds.   Having faith is demonstrated through action or deeds and is based on a willingness to do what it takes to do one’s personal best and maximize ones potential.

I also had the opportunity to discuss my work on spiritual leadership during the several breaks.  This is the first time where I felt comfortable to speak about spirituality out loud.  It gave me strength to talk more about it in other settings.  You find the poster here: poster presentation.

Warmly. Danny

Presenting at the Conference on Ethics in Business – Corporate Culture & Spirituality, Nov 6, 2009

I have been selected to present my research about Spiritual Leadership during a poster session at the 6^th Conference on Ethics in Business – Corporate Culture & Spirituality”, International Business & Leadership Symposium, European Parliament, Brussels.  For a full programme, please visit their website: www.ccsforum.org.

My poster sessions are held on Friday Nov 6 at 14:00 and at 16:30.  You need to register to get access to the European Parliament.  Registration is free.

Hope to meet you there!

Maison des Chevaliers

Inner court

A true experience, I would call it.

“Maison des Chevaliers” is a guest house in the middle of France and served as a rest place on our way to Spain.  It was madame Choux who welcomed us and gave a tour through this magnificent piece of history.  This manor was built in the XVIII century and possesses an extraordinary noble character.  We were able to stay in the Suite “Coté Sud”:  two spacious rooms, next to eachother and connected with a common door, oriented to the south and each one decorated in its own style.  This manor has a beautiful inner court. Flowers and green leaves gave  a touch of freshness to this court.  It was a place to gather with all the guests and to enjoy a glass of white wine just before dinner.  Dinner itself was served in the main salon and was a nice treat of interesting talks, delicious food and tasty wine.  This was our first experience in a guest house in France and it will definitely not be our last one. Cheers!

www.maisondeschevaliers.com

Conservatoire de Bruxelles – Benefit Concert – 29/10/2009

Le jeudi 29 octobre 2009, à 20 heures, soutenez l’ambitieux projet de rénovation de l’asbl Conservamus et venez faire la fête. En musique, naturellement !

Le Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, chef-d’œuvre éclectique de l’architecte Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar, est en péril. Mais son sauvetage est aujourd’hui rendu possible… L’asbl Conservamus, fondée il y a deux ans, se présente à vous avec un ambitieux projet de rénovation. Celui-ci a pour but de sauver ce vaste complexe architectural du Sablon et de permettre aux prestigieuses institutions et à leur inestimable bibliothèque musicale qui s’y logent de réintégrer les meilleurs campus universitaires européens et le dynamisme neuf du Mont des Arts de Bruxelles. 50 millions d’euros sont nécessaires à ce rêve fou, qui ne deviendra réalité que si tout le monde relève ses manches. L’équipe motivée de Conservamus en a déjà réuni les conditions par un travail acharné de réflexion, de concertation et de sensibilisation auprès des Pouvoirs publics et des institutions concernées. Elle a maintenant besoin de vous, de votre soutien et de votre réseau ! Bloquez ce concert du jeudi 29 octobre : vous allez rêver avec nous.

Plus d’infos ? Cliquez www.conservamus.be et/ou contactez moi.

Rendez-vous compte par vous-même…   En avant-première, profitez des Journées du Patrimoine pour visiter le bâtiment et vous rendre compte de l’absolue nécessité de son sauvetage. Visites guidées gratuites entre 10 et 17 heures, les samedi 19 et dimanche 20 septembre.

Introductory workshop on organisational constellations

You are warmly welcome to join us on Wednesday 3 June, 18:30 – 20:30, for another eye-opening introductory workshop on organisational constellations, an effective way to personal and organisational insights.

This is the last workshop before the summer holidays. This series of workshops have been amazing. What I learn from it, is that we never know. Things that we take for granted disappear at once, but also elements that we never thought about do emerge. 

However, there are some prerequisites to bring out the best in a organisational constellation.  A first one is appreciation.  Appreciate and acknowledge what is. By rekindling appreciation, we can bring things right back to the initial excitement we once had about an insight. Secondly, do not judge. Nonjudgment is generous and allowing. Being neutral is the first step toward nonjudgment.

For more information on this introductory workshop and how to register, click here.

What about mission and vision?

The terms “mission” and “vision” are often loosely defined and interchanged.  However, these terms are so essential to leadership and management that it is important to understand them in more detail.

“Vision refers to a picture of the future with some implicit or explicit commentary on why people should strive to create that future” (Kotter, 1996, p. 68).  It must energize people, give meaning to work, and garner commitment. It should have broad appeal, define the vision’s destination and journey, reflect high ideals, and encourage hope and faith (Fry, 2003).

It’s clear that a vision cannot be a kind of picture that is dropped down by (top) management. It is built on something that defines and holds the organisation, i.e. the mission.  The mission is the organization’s reason for existence and provides a basis for creating the vision. It defines what the organization stands for in a larger sense and defines the company’s culture, core values, and reason for being. Culture consists of the set of key values, assumptions, understandings, and ways of thinking considered to be morally right that is shared by members of an organization and taught to new members as correct (Schein, 1990).

A shared vision is just one of the key elements of the Spiritual Leadership Theory developed by Fry (2003). 

 

Sources:

Fry, L.W. (2003). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 14 (6), 693-728.

Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Schein, E. H. (1990). Organizational culture. American Psychologist, 45(2), 109-119.

Ask and it is Given

 

Only a few weeks ago, thanks to my friend Andy, I came across the book “Ask and it is Given” by Esther and Jerry Hicks (see My Bookshelf).  Although it was first published in 2004, it is still very actual today.

 

The book is a pleasant read. Once I got started, I wasn’t able to stop reading.  The book deals with the fact that we are creators; creators of our own reality.  Everything what is asked, is also given, each time. 

 

Our bodies are continuously broadcasting.  Everything we desire, is broadcasted into the universe.  Unfortunaly, everything we don’t desire, is also broadcasted.  For example, if we don’t want something, you broadcast that “you don’t want that”. As a consequence, we will encounter the thing we don’t want over and over again until we replace the thing we don’t want with that we do want.

 

It sounds simple, no?  Huh…  The biggest inhibitor of not getting what we want is our own holding pattern.  It is our own (sometimes unconscious) resistance against it.  So, how do I know if I’m giving the right attention to my desire?  Well, your emotions will tell.  If you do feel good about your desire, then your thoughts are a vibrational match with your desire.  Hence, it is important to feel your desire, or imagine how it would feel.  This makes the broadcast much stronger.

 

The book concludes with a number of “processes” to get more what you want.  It’s absolutely worthwhile to check them out!  Just amazingly simple and powerful.

What is spirituality?

The concept of spirit has its roots in the Latin word “spiritus”, meaning “breath” and in contemporary time spirit has been attributed with a variety of meanings and definitions.

Spirituality, historically, has been rooted in religion.  However, its current use in business is most often not associated with any specific religious tradition. Moreover, spirituality is one of the latest phenomena to enter the realm of management debate .

According to Stamp (1991), spirituality is conceiving elusively “an awareness within individuals of a sense of connectedness that exists between inner selves and the world”.  In its wider sense, and parallel to ancient Greeks’ perspective, spirituality relates to “a feeling of being connected within one’s complete self, with others, the entire universe and/or with God”.

What about religion?  The main conclusion of one recent meta-analysis has been that “religion was predominantly associated with formal/organizational religion, while spirituality was more often associated with closeness with God and feelings of interconnectedness with the world and living things”. Religion focuses more upon the specific group and the organization, while spirituality is more generic, and may even encompass more than one religious approach. In many ways religion is just institutionalized spirituality.

What spirituality tells me, is that I’m not alone. Never, in fact.  Spirituality is like a glue among all of us.  It embraces and connects us all, both inside (inner self) and outside (environment).