Leading Conversations

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Angeles Arrien, to Leading Conversations for a second time! Angeles is an anthropologist, educator, award-winning author, consultant, and Founder and President of the Angeles Arrien Foundation for Cross-Cultural Education and Research.Her work bridges cultural anthropology, psychology, and mediation skills. Her award winning books include The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer and Visionary; Signs of Life: The Five Universal Shapes and How to Use Them; and The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates of Wisdom. Leadership is undergoing a cultural revolution. How do expertise and mastery figure in this? During our conversation we explore the practice of leadership, the shift in expectations we have of our leaders around the world, and what it requires of us all. Angeles shares practical wisdom of the ages and challenges us to tap our capacity to lead from within. We can bring meaning to our work and our world.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes David Isaacs, co-creator of The World Café, and President of Clearing Communications an international organizational renewal and communications strategy company. In his work with leaders worldwide, David is a thinking partner in the design of strategic conversations to generate collaborative learning and to engage challenges of unprecedented change and transformation in the workplace.?Co-author (with life-partner Juanita Brown) of The World Café: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter, David views business as närings för liv, the Swedish term for business meaning nourishment for life; and says conversation is a core business process. Imagine a world where our businesses actually nourished each individual...and encouraged deep conversation - before action...explore this radical idea with us! Join the conversation!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Luisah Teish, a writer and extraordinary storyteller, internationally known for her performances of African, Caribbean, and African-American folklore and feminist myth. She is author of Jump Up: Good Times Throughout the Season with Celebrations from Around the World and Carnival of the Spirit. Teish connects us with the ancestors, bringing wisdom traditions and rituals to life. Her stories teach us what the ancients knew about the natural rhythms of the seasons, how cultures thrive and communities prosper. Teish says, “Stand knowing that you are an ancestor of the future.” What will your story be? Join the conversation for a magical hour with Luisah Teish!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Mark Gerzon, President of The Mediators Foundation and author of Leading Through Conflict: How Successful Leaders Transform Differences into Opportunities. Whether working with leaders of global corporations, the U.S. House of Representatives or the United Nations, his mission is to foster the emergence of leaders who know how to build bridges across divides. Passionate about building a more just, peaceful and sustainable world, his work has included designing two successful Bipartisan Congressional Retreats, and serving as Distinguished Fellow at the East West Institute (New York/Brussels), developing a global network of think-tank's to find innovative ways of thinking about global conflict.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Stewart Levine, founder of ResolutionWorks, and co-author of Collaboration 2.0: Technology and Best Practices for Successful Collaboration in a Web 2.0 World. To thrive in this century, leaders of organizations and global projects have to rely on and expect that people will bring their best thinking to the table even if it is controversial or isn’t what everyone wants to hear. Without this, leaders risk not making informed decisions on critical issues. Virtual teams and a mobile workforce make this even more challenging. Forging consensus quickly and easily may sound like an oxymoron to some; to Stewart it is the only option. After years as a practicing attorney, followed by a role as a corporate executive, he now teaches “conversational competence” to leaders around the world. Join us in the conversation and learn what it takes to build that Resolutionary muscle and turn potential conflict into collaboration every time.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Richard Leider, founder and Chairman of The Inventure Group, and ranked by Forbes as one of the Top 5 most respected [executive] coaches with thirty years experience in coaching people to live and work on purpose. He is a best-selling author of Repacking Your Bags and Claiming Your Place At The Fire. How do we find our place in the world? Richard Leider says “it is not a place we find but a life we create…when we commit ourselves to something larger than ourselves.” Join us as we explore the power of leading a life on purpose.

Cheryl welcomes Patricia Aburdene, author of Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism. Aburdene says “capitalism is finding its soul” and points to 7 trends that will transform the way we all work, live and invest to prove it. Aburdene has a track record of deciphering the signs of significant long-term change. In the book Megatrends more than 20 years ago, she and John Naisbitt described the birth of the Information Economy.” A decade later, they predicted a networked, technology-driven era in business. In Megatrends 2010 she shows how values, consciousness, and leadership at all levels are reshaping capitalism. She says, “we the people have the power as investors, employees, and consumers to heal capitalism.” How has this moved from being a mantra of a few radical idealists to being embraced as an emerging trend in society? Join Cheryl and guest Patricia Aburdene to explore this profound global shift and the important role you play in creating the future.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Peter Barnes, co-founder of Working Assets, successful journalist, thought leader, and author of Capitalism 3.0: A Guide To Reclaiming The Commons. Capitalism needs an upgrade. Our current economic “operating system” fits the 18th century more than the 21st century. “When capitalism started, nature was abundant and capital was scarce; it thus made sense to reward capital above all else. Today we're awash in capital and literally running out of nature.” Peter points the way to a future in which we can retain capitalism’s virtues while mitigating its vices. All of us -entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, community activists, politicians, et.al- have a role to play in shaping a future for the coming generations. Are you ready? Join Cheryl & Peter for Common Wealth: Leading the Future.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Carolyn Lukensmeyer Ph.D., founder and President of AmericaSpeaks, a non-profit working to reinvigorate democracy by engaging citizens in the public decision-making. Carolyn is a leader in social change, and believes that democracy should come back into fashion! She has a background in business strategy, large-scale systems design and strategic change; she has served as Chief of Staff to a state governor; Consultant to the White House Chief of Staff from November 1993 through June 1994; and as the Deputy Project Director for Management of the National Performance Review, Vice President Al Gore's reinventing government task force. Today as the leader of AmericaSpeaks, she leverages the power of large-scale public meetings and technology to connect decision-makers with the voices of citizens in the form of a 21st Century Town Meeting®, practicing deliberative democracy. Join the conversation to hear Carolyn share her profound experiences!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Peter Block award winning author, thought leader, and consultant to corporate, government, and community organizations in the realm of empowerment, stewardship, chosen accountability, & the reconciliation of community. Peter’s many books include The Answer to How Is Yes: Acting on What Matters, the 2002 Independent Book Publisher Business Breakthrough Book of the Year; and his most recent, Community: The Structure of Belonging. Peter suggests that our major challenge in moving toward a relevant future is to focus on what we can create, rather than what problems we can solve. Instead, he observes, Nothing new gets created by better problem solving or by focusing on low-hanging fruit. No matter how sophisticated we are as a learning organization, if our conversations are limited to measurable outcomes, we are simply getting better at a system, not creating a new future.” Want to know how to do this? Just say yes and join Cheryl & Peter in the conversation!