A Near Death Experience – Becoming Yourself with Bill Koenig – Episode 65

“We can become who we are through the gracing help of others.”

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Episode Summary

Bill Koenig has had a distinguished and successful career as an expert in adult learning, leadership and organizational development, and as an entrepreneur and a civic leader. Bill’s eclectic experience includes Program Director at OSR, Organization System Renewal Northwest, and Board Chair of the Whidbey Institute where he participated in the development of their leadership programs. Previously, Bill was the President and CEO of Cantametrix, and a founder and President of DiscoverMusic and of KidStar Interactive Media. Bill’s holds a PhD in mythological studies and a Masters in whole systems design. He is currently a senior advisor at The Cambridge Management Group where he brings together a big picture of deep cross-discipline insights into human systems, transformation and renewal.

In this episode, Aviv and Bill expound on the differences between leadership competency and leadership capacity. Bill speaks to the profound impact that sports had on his formative years and credits his success today to the experiences he had playing team sports throughout his life. Bill identifies leadership patterns he has witnessed in organizations and cites the Navy Seals as a model of effective shared leadership. Aviv and Bill reflect on the concept of servant leadership. Finally, Bill leaves the audience with some sound advice. He encourages the continual journey of becoming yourself and suggests doing so in the context of continual inquiry and the assimilation of new learning, new models and new opportunities.

Essential Learning Points:

• 00:58 – Introducing today’s guest, Bill Koenig
• 02:34 – What energizes and excites Bill
• 03:36 – Bill talks about the importance of sustainability
• 04:57 – Bill provides examples of how we can be disruptive, transformational, and engaged
• 07:21 – The two critical vectors that have led to the sustainability crisis
• 08:28 – Defining leadership competence
• 13:19 – Recognizing the exterior space of leadership development
• 17:00 – Catalysts for transformational change
• 20:08 – A striking pattern Bill has noticed within organizations
• 26:33 – How the Navy Seals embody shared leadership
• 29:47 – Aviv expounds on a meta-trend that has been appearing within organizations
• 32:36 – Bill reflects on a Graduate program he participated in
• 35:17 – Inspirations from Bill’s formative years
• 37:22 – How Bill used sports as a key component in his evolution as a person
• 41:59 – How these propulsions helped shape Bill’s career
• 43:51 – The journey to entrepreneurship within the start-up space
• 45:46 – Bill’s proudest accomplishment
• 54:13 – Transformative insights Bill has been able to internalize through his experience with organizational renewal
• 57:06 – Servant leadership
• 57:56 – Bill regales the audience with the story of a near death experience
• 1:03:31 – Why Bill chose to study mythology
• 1:07:27 – Two passions Bill values above all others
• 1:09:49 – Parting words of wisdom and insights from Bill
• 1:14:19 – Now it’s your turn, build your leadership capacity, cultivate shared awareness and consciousness about the mission at hand, and stay in-tune with your inner voice to become yourself

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