第5章 The Two Sides of Power(第1/2页)

toexplainwhereihavearrivedinm玉nderstandingofpowerandloveandsocialchange,ihavetoexplainhowistarted.

igrewupinntrealandstudiedphysicsatmcgil露niversity.inthesummerof1981,asiwasfinishingm玉ndergraduatedegree,iattendedameeofthepugwashconferenceonscienceandworldaffairsinbanff,alberta,whereiheardaspeechaboutthecrucialenergyandenvironmentalchallengesarisingoutoftheincreasingplexityandfullness-ofpeopleandideasandthings-oftheworld.idecidedtoshiftmystudiesfromphysicaltosocialsciences,andiwentontodoagraduatedegreeineconomicsandpublicpolicyattheuniversityofcaliforniaatberkeley.aftergraduation,iworkedatavarietyofresearchinstitutionsinnorthamerica,europe,andasia,ompanyinsanfrancisco.

myfatherhadtaughtmetheva露eofindustriousness-ofdoingmyjobwell,whateverthatjobwas-andofself-determinationandself-improvement.hisfavoritestorywasofhenrydavidthoreau,whohadlivedinthewoodsatwaldenpondandaftertwoyearshadeoutwithhisaxesharperthanwhenhehadgonein.

iwasyoungandambitiousandkeentomakemymarkontheworld.

generativepower

in1988,wheniwastwenty-sevenyearsold,ivedfromsanfranciscotolondontotakeajobintheglobalstrategydepartmentoftheenergypanyroyaldutchshell.whatilovedstaboutworkingforshellwasthepower.ienjoyedgetthediplomaticmes:"thegovernmentofcôted''''ivoirehasreiteratedtheirrequestthatwedesistfromreferringtothemastheivorycoast."ioncegotamistakenphonecallaskingmewherea$300millionpaymentforafueloildeliveryshouldbedeposited.ilikedshell''''spracticalroleinprovidingtheworldwithenergy:thepanyinvested混dredsofmillionsofdollarsayearinresearchanddevelopment,drilledforoilthousandsoffeetunderwater,andproducedfuelsbyheaoilsandsandcoolingnaturalgas.ireveledinbeingasmallcoginthisbigandimportantmachine.

iwasatshellattheheightofcapitalistconfidence.theberlinwallhadjustfallen,theinterboomwasstar,francisfukuyamahadpublished"theendofhistory,"tomwolfewaswriaboutmanhattanfinanciersas"mastersoftheuniverse,"andmargaretthatcherwaspronouncingthat"thereisnoalternative"totheanglo-americanfreeenterprisedel.thedominantculturalmemewasthatinallspheres-economic,political,social,legal,international,intellectual-acontestangpepowersproducedthebestoute.[11]frommyofficeinalondonskyscraper,itseemedtomethatifeverybodyjustdidtheirjobandpushedforwardtheirpart-engagedincivilized,manlyjostling-thewholewouldgrowandprosper.

myexperienceatshell,andelsewhereintheworldofbusiness,wasofanalstsingle-mindedemphasisonthepragmaticuseofpower-thekindofpowerthataformerphysicsstudentcouldrecognize.itseemedtomethatbusinesspeopleunderstoodpowerthesamewaymartin露therkingjr.did:"powerproperl玉nderstoodisnothingbuttheabilitytoachievepurpose."[12]ordwithpaultillich''''sexplanationofpower''''sgenerativeroot:"thedriveofeverythinglivingtorealizeitself,withincreasingintensityandextensity."thisdrivecanbeseenintheforceofagrowingseed:theforcethat"guerrillagardeners"employtoturnvacanturbanlotsintoparks,whentheysurreptitiouslyplantseedsthatbreakthroughtheconcrete.

atshellicouldseehowmyowndriveforself-realization,alongwiththatofmycolleagues,producedfuriouslypetitiveintellectualcreativityandgrowth.theheadofourdepartment,ariedegeus,wroteabookcalledthelivingpany.thishelpedmealsoseehowthepany''''slivingdriveforself-realization,alongwiththatofotherpanies,producedfuriouslypetitivemercialcreativityandgrowth.[13]

inallofthisisawthegenerativeaspectofpower:theuniversaldriveto"getone''''sjobdone."powerexpressesourpurposefulness,wholeness,andagency.althoughpoweristhedrivetorealizeone''''sself,theeffectofpowergoesbeyondone''''sself.powerishowwemakeadifferenceintheworld;itisthemeansbywhichnewsocialrealitiesarecreated.withoutpower,nothingnewgrows.

atshelliwasheadofthestrategygroupthatconstructedscenarios-plausiblealternativestories-ofsocial-political-environmentalcontextsinwhichthepanymightfinditself.in1991,pieterleroux,aprofessorattheleft-winguniversityofthewesterncapeinsouthafrica,contactedmebecausehewantedtousetheshellmethodologytohelpagroupofsouthafricanoppositionleadersdevelopastrategyforeffecthetransitionawayfromapartheid.nelsonmandelahadjustbeenreleasedfromtwenty-sevenyearsinprison,andthenegotiationsbetweentheoppositionandthewhiteminoritygovernmenthadstartedinearnest.leroux''''sprojectsoundedinteresandworthwhiletome,andmyshellbosseswerehappy,afteryearsofbeingvilifiedfornothavingdivestedfromsouthafrica,fortheopportunitytorebuildthepany''''srelationshipswiththeopposition.soinseptember1991,itraveledtocapetowntofacilitatethefirstworkshopofwhatbecameknownasthentfleurscenarioexercise.[14]

whatifoundexhilarainmeetheseleaders-frompoliticalparties,tradeunions,munityorganizations,universities,andpanies-wastheirpowerfulpurposefulness.everyoneofthemwasmittedtoaddressing,fromtheirparticularidologicalandinstitutionalbase,southafrica''''stoughchallenges,essfulonlyiftheyworkedtogether.whitebusinessmanjohannliebenberglaterremembered,withsurpriseandpleasure,hisconversationswiththeblackleaderswhohadhithertobeenhisadversaries:"thiswasnewtome,especiallyhowopen-mindedtheywere.thesewerenotpeoplewhosimplysaid:''''look,thisishowitisgoingtobewhenwetakeoveroneday.''''theywerepreparedtosay:''''hey,howwoulditbe?let''''sdiscussit.''''"[15]ifeltexcitedtoplayapartinthisimportantsocialchangeprocess.

whatisawintheseworkshops,andthroughthewindowtheyprovidedmeontothedynamicsofsouthafrica''''sextraordinarytransition,changedm玉nderstandingofwhatwaspossibleintheworld.isawthatateafleadersfromacrossasocialsystemcould,eveninthestplex,conflictual,andchallengingofcontexts,exercisetheirpowercollectivelytochangethatsystemforthebetter.iwasinspiredbywhatiwaslearningaboutthisgenerativepower.

whatisawalsochangedm玉nderstandingofwhatwaspossibleforme.isawthatihadajobtodo-awayofmakingadifferenceintheworld-insupporsuchteams.in1993,iresignedfromshellandvedtosouthafrica.sincethenihavebeendoingthiskindofworkthereandelsewhere.

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