The Jungle, The Bush and Values

I felt an immediacy about being in the remote Amazon jungle where I stayed with the headhunting Shuar tribe. I felt the same thing last summer when I stayed in a remote, primitive village in Malawi, Africa's poorest country. Both places called me to a presence that I don't usually experience here in my cushy life in Pennsylvania.

Those treks and others taught me a lot about being in the "zone" of presence - personally and professionally. In remote places, you have to be very mindful when you're doing the simplest things - going to the bathroom, getting anywhere, making sure 24-7 that you don't get bitten by tiny and humongous insects, making sure you can physically put one foot in front of the other and live to tell about where you got to...

I was thinking that values-driven leadership is a lot like bushwhacking through the jungle and managing my broken leg in the Malawi bush because, just like surviving and thriving on the edge of civilization, creating a values-driven world has everything to do with where I put my feet, my hands, my mouth and my money - right here, right now.

Living and working according to our values has to be personal but we also need a stronger collective presence to what's going on at a global level. It's past time for the world's economic leaders to rise to new levels of immediacy about our commitment to liberty and justice for all - no matter how deep the mud, how hot the air, or how big the bugs. It's time to place higher social value on values immediately and presently - it's the best way to survive and thrive.

In my work with visionary leaders at the United Nations and with coaching/consulting clients, I've learned that being fully present to our personal, professional and global lives isn't always the prettiest position to sit in, but ultimately, it's the most powerful. www.jonicarley.com