Powerful Performers
The Life Leaders Digest
ACTIVATION PERSPECTIVE - MASTERY
Masters of any field, skill or domain of knowledge makes the difficult appear easy, the challenging appear pleasurable, the complex appear simple. They bring enlightenment, innovation and inspiration to the mundane. This often done not because of any superior knowledge, but by offering a compelling vision or perspective that others want to adopt, or which addresses deep concerns that we may have concealed or resisted. We admire mastery in any field and wish we could be that way. What George Leonard draws from the martial art of aikido is that mastery is a journey and requires years of dedicated practice, but can bring excellence and fulfillment into our everyday lives. But not many of us are prepared to make the sacrifices needed. Nevertheless we want to know what the masters know so we can maybe shortcut the process somehow. It seems we have to be prepared to travel the path to mastery that requires regular practice, action learning, strength of will, resilience, good support, setting priorities and above all - activation.
George Leonard believes that to become a master in any field requires you to be balanced and centred so that mind and body can work together. He suggests that just touching your abdomen helps you to shift your mental and physical state into a more relaxed posture and a calmer mind. This requires you to refocus and become more aware of what you really need to pay attention to.
We certainly know a master when we meet one. They mystify and amaze us, quickly seeing through complex problems that seem to baffle others. Conversations are more interesting when they are around, as they find stories and examples that inspire and connect with our deepest desires.
It was Hubert Dreyfus who proposed hierarchy if competence from beginner to master. The master is always open to new perspectives that can enhance action to ever higher levels of performance. This requires exceptional motivation and dedication to their chosen practice that takes them beyond the expert to ever higher plateaus of performance. Experts want to achieve an objective, the master strives to do it better every time.
The work of Brenda Zimmerman throws light on how mastery is developed. They engage in generative learning. That is they follow the STAR. They look for:
Separateness or differences that enable them to make new distinctions and interpretations.
Talking and listening for opportunities to redefine a 'fact' and challenge the status quo
Action opportunities are being considered constantly as a way of creating value
Reasons to work together with others to develop ideas for mutual benefit
Gaining mastery also seems to involve immersion into areas where others are masters to create a community of like minds to play with and grow shared visions. We learn more from associating with doers and thinkers. Masters create 'communities of practice ' around them. What interests their followers is how they go about learning to improve their practice. Certainly they are driven by strong intentions and the ability to focused attention on them with vast resources of commitment and resilience to failure. Masters focus on action inquiry and reinforcing what works rather than on a theoretical understanding. There is certainly an air of humility, care and commitment about them, whilst some are very strong and opinionated. They want to question the facts, investigate possibilities and newness, whilst seeing the potential for change in breakdowns and uncertainty.
As Robert Dunham observed in masters of innovation, "it's not a lucky accident or a rare gift, it's the result of deliberate practice."
Reading
Mastery by George Leonard
