Eldership: Some Ideas on What, Why and How
A brief look on Google revealed a remarkable shortage of information about this topic. The Wikipedia entry focussed on church governance and hadn't been updated for 13 years. There were no dictionary definitions but there were a lot of biblical ones! The most common themes in these were sobriety, reliability, fidelity and age (preferably plenty of it!).
So who, or what, is an elder? Or more importantly, what is "eldership". If leadership is defined as "The Capacity to pick up a role which in that moment is needed to keep things moving forward" then eldership is definitely a form of leadership. But it differs from leadership in that it has a quality of stillness rather than action; a quality of "being with" rather than "doing with", a quality of offering information or catalysing insight rather than directing, a quality of developing rather than changing. This leads to the definition:
"Eldership is the capacity to be with a person (or situation)
in a way which catalyses or supports their (or its) development"
So where might the skills of eldership be beneficial?
In short eldership can bring other perspectives, other paradigms and other wisdom to a person or situation in a way that encourages change or progress.
What then is the essence of eldership? Its application demands more than just a certain set of behaviours. It demands what is sometimes described as "metacognition": knowing about knowing, or knowing about how we know what we know. It demands a mindset, skills, attitudes, knowledge and the ability to reflect that go beyond the "normal"; qualities which when well developed, can look more like magic to the untrained eye!
This set of qualities includes:
And can these qualities be learned? Absolutely! They can be learned by anyone who believes in them and who is prepared to become their own elder and learn fully about themselves. This is usually done via a series of workshops which focus on the above qualities and include strategies to develop and maintain them in a way which works for each individual.
The learning in the workshops is supported and consolidated by attendees:
And is eldership solely for the domain of the old? No! But it is the domain of the wise, the self-aware and the compassionate. It is the domain of those who are committed to the continuing development and transformation of people and organisations. It is the domain of tomorrow.
For more information about these qualities, how they could be relevant to you or your organisation and how to develop them please contact Dave Burton at Potential Development.
So who, or what, is an elder? Or more importantly, what is "eldership". If leadership is defined as "The Capacity to pick up a role which in that moment is needed to keep things moving forward" then eldership is definitely a form of leadership. But it differs from leadership in that it has a quality of stillness rather than action; a quality of "being with" rather than "doing with", a quality of offering information or catalysing insight rather than directing, a quality of developing rather than changing. This leads to the definition:
"Eldership is the capacity to be with a person (or situation)
in a way which catalyses or supports their (or its) development"
So where might the skills of eldership be beneficial?
- In a leadership context the qualities of eldership could enable the leader to maintain a positive outlook and convey that to staff in tough or challenging situations.
- In a mentoring context the qualities could help a mentor bring a new perspective to a problem.
- In a consulting context the qualities could for example underpin a collaborative approach to planning in a way which does justice to the client's real goals.
In short eldership can bring other perspectives, other paradigms and other wisdom to a person or situation in a way that encourages change or progress.
What then is the essence of eldership? Its application demands more than just a certain set of behaviours. It demands what is sometimes described as "metacognition": knowing about knowing, or knowing about how we know what we know. It demands a mindset, skills, attitudes, knowledge and the ability to reflect that go beyond the "normal"; qualities which when well developed, can look more like magic to the untrained eye!
This set of qualities includes:
- Letting go of the need for validation. So often we become dependent on others for our own sense of worth. If we get good feedback we feel fine. If we get back bad feedback we at least feel noticed. If we get no feedback we feel non-existent! An elder will be comfortable with his or her own validation, his or her own sense of self-worth. You might say "Aha, many people have this quality but that doesn't mean they're good people; it just means they think they are!" True. This quality as with all the others does not in itself make an elder but it is a part of the whole.
- Being gracious with the differently informed. An elder carries knowledge and wisdom gently and often in an almost invisible way. An elder is not a zealot beating a drum for a particular cause, or someone trying to convince others of what is "right". Knowledge is not regarded as power or an advantage over another; it is something that is offered graciously when sought and gently restrained when not sought.
And can these qualities be learned? Absolutely! They can be learned by anyone who believes in them and who is prepared to become their own elder and learn fully about themselves. This is usually done via a series of workshops which focus on the above qualities and include strategies to develop and maintain them in a way which works for each individual.
The learning in the workshops is supported and consolidated by attendees:
- considering and practising the qualities they most need to develop
- receiving mentoring as they learn
- practising new approaches between workshops
- reviewing the outcomes of their practice with colleagues and their mentor
And is eldership solely for the domain of the old? No! But it is the domain of the wise, the self-aware and the compassionate. It is the domain of those who are committed to the continuing development and transformation of people and organisations. It is the domain of tomorrow.
For more information about these qualities, how they could be relevant to you or your organisation and how to develop them please contact Dave Burton at Potential Development.