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Convergence Keynoter, George Land
Somewhere on the spectrum between intellectual scientist and new age philosopher sits George Land, a man who defies definition. Author and general systems scientist with a broad and varied background in communications, business, education and government, George is a charismatic leader who draws his wisdom about change and creativity from nature. His book "Grow or Die, the Unifying Principle of Transformation," published in 1974, was perhaps the first book to relate the dynamics of natural creativity and change to organizations.
In his latest book, "Breakpoint and Beyond, Mastering the Future -- Today," co-authored with wife and partner, Beth Jarman, Land addresses the issue of how we can equip ourselves or our organizations to deal with a world that is transforming itself before our very eyes. In order to prepare ourselves for this change, we have to understand that we've reached a new kind of change ... a Breakpoint that severs the critical links with the past.
Here's a quote from the book that helps explain this principle and its impact:
"Nature does not operate in a logical, regular, and predictable progression, but is engaged in a dynamic creative process, bringing into being what never before existed. Nature follows a very special pattern. She weaves in and out of ordering and reordering, encountering Breakpoints along the way. The phenomena that are often labeled "disorder" and "randomness" actually operate to provide necessary opportunities to develop deeper, broader, and more complex connections among people, ideas, and things, both internally and with the outside environment as it moves through the three phases of creative growth and change. This allows nature -- including us -- to create giant, unpredictable leaps of evolution and creativity. New species appear! Unique cells, plants, animals, and varied forms of organized life emerge. Constant creative change hallmarks our planet--and our lives."
Making a Breakpoint Leap requires radical new thinking patterns and changes in the way we view the world. Three guiding principles that guide individuals and organizations through this Breakpoint into a dynamic future are:
- creating what has never existed before, not depending just on improvements to what already exists;
- making deep and powerful interdependent connections with one another, not excluding people based on differences or separating functions;
- being pulled to a new kind of future, not pushed by the past.
Land and Jarman's book is woven with examples from nature and organizations to illustrate the profound nature of the changes we're experiencing. George was the closing speaker at the Innovative Thinking Convergence on April 12, 1995, speaking on "Creativity of the Heart."
A tape and transcript are available from this outstanding presentation by truly unique individual who recently received The Outstanding Creative Achievement Award from the Creative Education Foundation for his lifetime achievements in creativity.
George Land is Chairman and Founding Partner of Leadership 2000, Inc., an international consulting firm specializing in transformational change. George can be reached at 602-852-0223; FAX: 602-852-0232.