In 2010, the first Wisdom 2.0 conference was held to explore how to use technology to connect to one another. In the ten years since then, technology and its social impact has leapt forward in unforeseen ways. And yet our innate human need to connect with each other has become more and more challenging as tech, media, and society continue down a path of separation. This year’s Wisdom 2.0 conference, held March 5-7 in San Francisco, drew thousands of people from around the world who showed up to connect despite COVID-19 concerns.
The annual Wisdom 2.0 conference and its satellite events champion “to not only live connected to one another through technology, but to do so in ways that are beneficial to our own well-being, effective in our work, and useful to the world.” Our takeaways from this year’s conference include:
The importance of inner work as a foundation from which to respond effectively to the world.
The critical need for and value of engagement as we move out from inner work to take action in the world.
The need for our engagement to be focused on raising the level of human connection.
The specific importance of leaders being thoughtful of how they engage and the role they can play by leading compassionately.
Inner Work
Even in a community as contemplative as the one gathered in San Francisco, the stresses and anxieties of our world weigh heavily. Political polarization and separation, global warming, and the uncertain impact of COVID-19 all came up during the Wisdom 2.0 sessions. Senior teacher Byron Katie made the clearest case for the importance of inner work when facing a challenging world, when she said, “The freer you get, the kinder the world becomes.” Our capacity to respond to external challenges is so much stronger when we don’t take those challenges personally, or as Instagram’s favorite deep thinker Yung Pueblo observed, “So much of what holds us back are difficult stories we make up in our own mind.”
How do we do the inner work? Chris Cox, former Chief Product Officer at Facebook and a serious meditator, boiled it down to a fairly simple prescription, “Daily practice is the most important thing.” When we practice, whether it is meditative, creative, embodied, or study, we integrate the different parts of our whole body and being. And then we are ready to move into the world where interpersonal neurobiologist and best-selling author Dr. Dan Siegel taught, “Integration made visible is kindness, compassion, and love.”
Engagement
The world needs the benefits that flow from our daily practices, or as senior teacher Jack Kornfield put it, “We become still and right action comes from that.” One of the most inspiring displays of right action came from Liliane Umuhoza, founder of the Women’s Genocide Survivors Retreat, who said, “When we share, we connect. When we connect, we heal. And when we heal, we change the world.”
Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, Surgeon General of the State of California, is striving for early detection and intervention of children in abusive and dysfunctional homes. The state is training first responders, teachers, medical care professionals, and citizens to engage in the battle against trauma and childhood abuse. The cost of this adversity is enormous, in both human and economic terms as shown in the recent Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. Dr. Burke-Harris is leading the charge to “double down on the things that science shows are protective.”
Connection
The core objective of Wisdom 2.0 is to promote genuine human connection and belonging. We are acutely aware of the evidence showing the epidemic of loneliness in our society today. Dr. Vivek Murthy, former Surgeon General of the United States, and author of Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, described the terrible costs of loneliness and made a compelling case for the value for human connection, encouraging us to spread our love outward, “We don’t need a doctor to prescribe love. We all have the power to heal with love.”
While Dr. Murthy encouraged us to connect with those in need in order to heal loneliness, David Simas, CEO of the Obama Foundation, encouraged connections with those with whom we disagree, “The most powerful way to persuade people is to listen to someone who has a different view than yours.” And former Presidential candidate and author Marianne Williamson reminded us that our ability to reach others is also a function of our ability to listen, “You can only speak as deeply as the listening exists.”
Compassionate Leadership
These principles: do the inner work, engage in the world, and make human connections are core elements of the Center for Compassionate Leadership’s model and aligns with our perspective to build compassion from the inside out. Leaders who embrace these tools and practices have a positive, valuable impact on themselves, their colleagues and teams, and their organizations.
The actions don’t have to be earth shattering. As Chris Cox said, “A lot of micro expressions can have a huge impact on the part of a leader.” Whether it is an encouraging comment or avoiding shame-inducing comments, the smallest intentions and actions can make the biggest difference in culture and the creation of psychological safety.
Leaders will set the tone in how they motivate. David Simas expressed this as clearly as can ever be stated in quoting his former boss, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, “Leaders lead by having people turn to each other or turn on each other.” Compassionate leaders know how to bring people together.
The closing session brought all of the elements together with an unorthodox pairing of comedian Chelsea Handler and her therapist, Dr. Dan Siegel. The session was filled with deep wisdom and humor that drove home the point that we can all change, grow, and connect. It reminds us, as Jack Kornfield said, “Keep working for what is right, but have fun doing it.”
Photo Credit: Oliver Plattner on Unsplash.