Design Impact
My design impact is to empower leaders to illuminate their truest and most full expression of humanness.
I am driven by the edge. The emergent area of a system that is entirely relevant, yet often unnoticed — where complexity and uncertainty shadows the obvious. It is at the edge where the brightest of ideas are born into the world — called into existence by those with hearts sized for the future. It is with this mind that I find myself keen to explore new realms of possibility— solutions to the many ailments of our present day challenges.
Operating with such fervor and tenacity is found in all great pioneers. It is what allows leaders to strive forward in the quest of moving humanity into a new paradigm and likely one of the biggest challenges of all of time.
Late in life, Abraham Maslow, further refined his most notable work on Hierarchy of Needs. He began experimenting with a sixth stage that went beyond that of self-actualization in what he coined, self-transcendence. In this stage, Maslow suggests that man is operating at a state of true altruism and spirituality.
It was under this frame of thought that I began reflecting on my calling. The budding question? What propels me to lead in such a profound way?
Discovering such meaning in my own life has been an unending journey. I find it to be emergent in nature, requiring much time to illuminate, while constantly evolving.
To comprehend my impact and its movement over time, I sketched a range of statements over a 10-year period. The most evident shift I discovered was the transition from ecological systems design to social intrapreneurship.
A Decade of Design Impact
Keywords pulled from the impact statements listed below in descending order.
Sustainable structures, built environment, carbon footprint, natural world, urban landscapes, natural flows, ecological systems, positive human-induced impacts, renewable solar energy technology, empower intrapreneurs, adaptive organizations, new rapidly evolving economy.
10 years ago:
My design impact is to build sustainable structures in the built environment that reduce the carbon footprint of humanity onto the natural world.
7 years ago:
My design impact is to design urban landscapes in line with the natural flows of ecological systems to generate positive human-induced impacts.
4 years ago:
My design impact is to advance renewable solar technology to become the dominant form of power used worldwide.
2 year ago:
My design impact is to design and build adaptive companies and organizations in a rapidly evolving new economy.
Present day:
My design impact is to empower leaders to illuminate their truest and most full expression of humanness.
This reflection has proven to be invaluable. It has brought about the realization that my interests are diverse and ever-changing. The constant? An unending appetite for advancing humanity forward.