Spiral Dynamics

Integral Politics With Jeff Salzman (Episode 109)

by amiel · Jul 10, 2019

Integral politics involves appreciating what’s good, true, and beautiful and what’s missing in every worldview in our culture. This is neither the mushy middle nor mere theory, but instead a practical way forward in a puzzling world. The idea of integral politics is straightforward: listen closely to every perspective, take the best, and jettison the rest. Breathe in the truth. Breathe out the partial nature of it. Just as a good health program involves supplementing different practices, integral politics asks: why not also supplement different worldviews?

A Leading Voice Of Integral Politics

For many years, Jeff Salzman has been a leading voice of integral politics. Through his podcast, The Daily Evolver, Jeff has brought this integral vantage point to everything from Presidential politics to #metoo to movies to economics.

This week, Jeff joins me to describe the tribal, warrior, traditional, modern, and postmodern worldviews and the many ways they battle in today’s politics. We discuss political correctness on college campuses, Cold War anticommunism, why God is both everywhere and nowhere, how life is a heartbreaking catastrophe yet we go on, the post-war liberal consensus and how it shattered, what Jeff does when encountering politicians who trigger him, why psychopaths are people too, and how as a young adult Jeff got tired of sitting through yet another heterosexual love scene at the movies. Integral politics has something to say about all of this!

Integral Politics Stretches The Mind

This discussion of integral politics will stretch your mind, and it’s longer than our average episode, so you’ll get extended mind-stretching! (Note: the audio quality on my end in this interview is less than usual. I don’t know why.)

The Amiel Show is taking a six-week summer break, so you will have time to savor this conversation before I return with a new episode in September.

In other news, I turned 49 on Tuesday. I am dedicating my 50th year on the planet to sharing my interviews and ideas with more people. Way more people. I call it the Big Tribe project. You are a huge part of it, so here’s step one: if you are intrigued or inspired by what you hear, please share this interview with friends and encourage them to subscribe to the podcast.

I’m also offering a free copy of my E-Book, Leading When You’re Ticked Off And Other Tips For Mastering Complexity, in this blog post on my web site.

Highlights

9:00 The discipline and faith of the traditional worldview. Jeff as church camper of the year.
14:00 As humanity moves forward, there are more stages of development present
21:00 There is a hierarchy of growth that is natural and beautiful
26:30 Ken Wilber’s Four Quadrants
31:00 We get sick to death of the stage we’re at
38:00 Posmodernism and “Where the fuck am I” in this movie?
46:00 In a good-versus-evil society, you’d be irresponsible to not annihilate your enemy
1:04:00 When you have a stack of worldviews at war with each other
1:10:00 It’s good we’re battling in comments sections, not with clubs and knives
1:24:00 The power of Mr. Trump’s shameless grandiose ego

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The Daily Evolver podcast

My Journey With Sustainable Business (Episode 107)

by amiel · Jun 5, 2019

This week, we turn the tables.

Chris Chittenden, senior ontological coach and past podcast guest, interviews me about my journey with sustainable business.

I found the experience liberating.

We discuss why I started a series on climate change, clean technology and sustainable business, the people and ideas who have influenced me, how I work with regret, and how I express these commitments in the life I was given.

I hope that this taste of my journey gives you insight and courage on your own journey.

If you get value from this, please share with friends.

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Episode 97: Spiral Dynamics With Jon Freeman

by amiel · Feb 20, 2019

Waiting four years to discuss Spiral Dynamics on my podcast is like waiting that long on a show about desserts before bringing up chocolate.

Yes, Cindy Wigglesworth used Spiral Dynamics to help us make sense of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, but this week is our first in-depth exploration.

And I’m excited to share it.

Spiral Dynamics is my go-to framework for understanding politics, global events, cultural evolution, and the many big challenges we face as a people and planet. It also explains what happens inside of large organizations, a place where I do most of my coaching and consulting. Whether the topic is global climate change, right wing nationalism, competing economic theories, or race and culture, Spiral Dynamics gives me a way to understand the core worldviews that animate everyday conversations.

That’s why Spiral Dynamics is called the “master code” or code of all codes.

To illuminate this framework, I spoke with Jon Freeman, who, after a long business career, discovered Spiral Dynamics and became one of its leading teachers.

Highlights

9:30 Small bands roaming the savannah to warlord gangs to rule-bound towns—and beyond
14:30 The worldviews dominant within big companies and organizations
25:30 Why you want all worldviews present in organizations
31:00 Reinterpreting the 2008 financial crisis through the Spiral
39:00 The dangers of ignoring the virtues of Blue rules
50:00 Why the U.S. underestimated China
56:30 Humanity prepares for a momentous leap—the shift to second tier
1:03:00 Reinventing Blue order in big corporations
1:08:00 The rise of mafia enterprises and right wing nationalism
1:15:00 Brexit, immigration, and complexity
1:19:00 Climate change, clean tech, and Spiral Wizards in a time of catastrophe

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Overview of Spiral Dynamics

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Episode 63: Using Worldviews To Explain The Election With Cindy Wigglesworth [The Amiel Show]

by amiel · Nov 29, 2016

Still trying to make sense of the U.S. presidential election? Me, too.

This week, leadership consultant and author Cindy Wigglesworth helps us understand what happened through the lens of worldviews. With an approach called Spiral Dynamics as our guide, Cindy describes how worldviews emerge progressively as we grow, what happens when they rub against each other, and how to reintegrate worldviews that we have kicked under the rug.

It’s a rich topic, one with interlocking questions about our political moment. For example:

What happens when the Blue “rules and roles” worldview gets attacked on one side by the Red “powerful self” and on the other side by Green “pluralism?”

Might liberals’ pluralism have underestimated the visceral appeal of the fierce Red within Donald Trump and many of his supporters?

What happens when Orange “achiever” values take the form of crony capitalism–and what would a healthier capitalism look like?

What new and more advanced worldview might be called forth in our culture if the survival of our species is at stake (if it isn’t already)?

This conversation with Cindy is part three of my post-election series. Although I’ve received a lot of positive feedback about parts one and two, I realize that politics—even at this dramatic moment in history–isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. If so, stay tuned for future interviews with Deb Helsing about Immunity to Change, Steve Waddell about large systems change, and Sean Casey Leclaire about men and leadership.

But, first, Cindy Wigglesworth. Cindy is a recognized expert in spiritual intelligence and its application to leaders and organizations. She describes her approach as faith-neutral, faith-friendly, and science-friendly. She created the SQ21 assessment of spiritual intelligence and is author of SQ21: The Twenty-One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence.

This conversation about the election, although informed by Cindy’s wisdom and compassion, doesn’t focus explicitly on spiritual intelligence. On the other hand, I think it will recharge your spiritual batteries as it did mine.

Highlights

7:30 Spiral Dynamics stages: red, blue, orange, and green
15:00 Different reasons people voted for Trump
18:30 How Bernie pulled Hillary more into Green
22:00 Green pluralism often attacks Blue rules
25:40 Strategic approach to societal survival issues
31:30 How to reintegrate the virtues of your Red (Powerful Self) and Blue (Rules and Roles) world views
40:30 How we can disown world views as we grow
45:00 Variety of forms capitalism takes
48:30 Critiques of capitalism—and their limits

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Liberalism often underestimates the value of enforcing society’s rules and roles

–Cindy Wigglesworth Tweet this quote

Spiral Dynamics worldviews discussed in interview

Red: Powerful Self
Blue: Rules and Roles
Orange: Achiever
Green: Pluralistic
Yellow: Strategic

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