Yesterday I participated in what was both a tribute and a communal gathering. The tribute was to a very wise man in the field of participative leadership, Finn Voltoff. Finn was known to speak of “magic in the middle.” Finn died in 2006. Young. I think he was in his 50s.
Tributes and appreciations were shared. Love was shared. I didn’t know Finn well, yet was very impacted by him, which I wrote about many years ago. I was also very impacted to be with community in light, yet deliberate structure for connection via Zoom.
There were several things shared from this gathering that I find myself wanting to dwell with. Ideas. Images. Several things that I don’t want to rush from my awareness. Several things that anchor me and renew my clarity. Several things that center me, and also bloom me, in a practice of love. The work may be referenced more often as “participative leadership.” But it is clear to me that the work behind the work is love. And kindness. And consciousness. And flow.
One of the voices of tribute from yesterday was Toke Moeller. I’ve known Toke for 20+ years now and continue to love him as a brother and fellow student of clarity. Speaking of the magic in the middle, he shared, “the magic is meeting each other, and then coming to know that we are of each other.”
“…of each other…” is game-changer and heart-changer. I have particular appreciation for this these days, as I continue to learn to release and invite restorying with groups. What if, what if…, there was no not “of each other…”? I love the tweakiness that this opens with people.
Yup, so, here’s to the magic in “of each other.” And here’s to magic in general. And community. And a kind of awakeness that makes visible, even for a moment, something quite exquisite and lastingly satisfying.
