Inspirational Presence. Jeff Evans
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left a profound impact on the way I move in the world. Some are long gone, and their impact has transcended time and distance. During the course of my life, I have read many books, all of which have contributed some part of the way that I see the world; of those, I will mention a few.
Early in life I was blessed to read the great works of Voltaire, Nietzsche, Payne, and others who profoundly impacted what I thought of democracy and human equality. Together, these set me on a path that embodies many egalitarian values. Among those, Ralph Waldo Emerson had the most memorable and lasting impact. I reread his works when I turned thirty-eight, as that was his age when he was in the prime of his writing. That was a humbling experience. Mark Twain showed me the ability to connect culture and feeling through words and sly humor. His characters leapt off the pages and still had relevance one hundred years after he penned them.
More recently, there are a number of gifted and inspiring authors who have made a huge difference for me. Gary Zukav has written works that have been turning points for me. First, The Dancing Wu Li Masters; then, more recently, The Heart of the Soul. Peter Senge’s The Fifth Discipline was another pivotal point in my learning progression. Ken Wilber’s A Brief History of Everything and The Marriage of Sense and Soul gave me insight into integration. Many other fine authors, researchers, and theorists have contributed to my cognitive worldview and, therefore, greatly influenced the content of this book.
Then there are those who have been my teachers in action. They have shown me ways to work with human consciousness in deep and powerful ways: John Carter at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, who showed me how spiritual practices and working with leaders can be the same thing. Tim Hallbom of NLP California, who taught me (and many others) how to create instant change through our language and thinking. My friend and colleague Chuck Schaefer, who brought me into the professional community of organization development, taught me many concepts of high-performance work systems, and expanded my thinking on many of my projects.
I owe a special thanks to my dad, Dan Evans, who showed me what it was like to be passionate about learning, and to my mother, Patricia Evans, who in her deep passion for writing, taught me to always carry a pen and paper, as I never knew when I would feel like I really needed to write.
Most of all, I owe thanks to my beloved wife, Justina Vail Evans. She is a gifted artist, writer, actor, spiritual teacher, and coach who has loved me, taught me, and learned with me. Justina has prompted my thinking, read my drafts, and provided valuable insights to the concepts, content, and presentation of this work. She has taught me the meaning of inspiration and embodies the example of presence. It is only through her that this book has been written.
CONTENTS
Leadership from the inside out
Chapter 1—The Case for Inspiration
Leaders with Inspirational Presence
Leadership and the limbic system
Leadership Starts at home—Who are you and where are you going?
Chapter 3—Commitment to Choice
People change because they choose to change
Driving Dissatisfaction or Fostering Vision
Psychological contract for change
People choose what they will or won’t do
Chapter 4—Leading in Organizations; Transformational vs. Transactional leadership