Whose Idea Was it Anyway?
The Role of Source in Organisations and Other Initiatives
The source principles propose that any enterprise, project or event can always be traced back to a single source; the person who gave life to an idea and was the first to risk something in order to realise their vision.
Source
- any thing or place from which something comes, arises, or is obtained.
- the beginning or place of origin of a stream or river.
- a book, statement, person, etc., supplying information.
Even in instances where shared ownership is the goal and we declare that ‘we’ had the idea together, closer investigation of the path of creation will always lead back to one particular person. In many but not all instances, this person will be able to identify themselves. The source, has an energetic connection to the endeavour, quite unlike any other member of the company or team. They are, however, not simply the person who had the idea, but who took the first risk and invested energy into the realisation of the idea. The ‘Gestalt’ (the visible, external form of something, what it ‘ought to look like’) can be sensed by the source, even if others sometimes have more accurate language to describe it. As a result, the source has an intuitive knowing about what the next steps are and will have strong reactions, sometimes viscerally, if this intuitive ‘knowing’ is not honoured. If the source is not acknowledged or contested; power struggles emerge and tension is tangible for everyone involved. The recognition of source will lead to an ease of flow in processes and decrease the potential for conflict.
The conception of an initiative
Any project, initiative or company can be traced back to a moment when it first came into existence, often clearly remembered by the source. This moment can feel like a download or a conception, seemingly originating from a place outside or beyond personal experience and knowledge. It’s as if the source taps into a dimension in which all ideas and all possible creations exist. In this sphere of limitless and impersonal potentialities, yet undifferentiated ideas exist that belong to no one and are available to anyone. This dimension connects with a carrier, who then assumes the role of source and brings an idea into existence. A person having ‘received’ an idea may indeed feel as if they are going pregnant with an idea. What often follows is a germination period in which the idea is not yet a fully formed vision and needs to be protected from too much external influence.
Once the idea has officially been born and articulated, a strong connection continues to exist to the source. For the wellbeing and flourishing of the initiative, it is vital that this primary connection is recognised and honoured, even if other’s step in as sub-sources or helpers and might even bear the bulk of the ‘childrearing’ work.
The role of supporters
The role of others as supporters and helpers for the success of a project envisioned by the source is paramount. As they say: It takes a village…
The bigger the original vision that the source brings into existence, the more likely the source relies on others for realisation of this vision. The supporters can take on different roles; from translating the idea into concepts or tasks, to taking on roles as sub- or specific sources with full responsibility for a specific part of the project.
Sub-sources are sources in their own right realising part of their own vision under the bigger umbrella. Helpers are attracted to the source and their field yet with a more limited ambition. Each supporterwill form their special connection to the project and can become a central figure in the development process.
Source-led initiatives acknowledge the emergent energetic and time-based hierarchy that created the circumference in which all sub-projects are nested. In a bigger initiative, finding the source is like tracing an oak tree back to the acorn from which it once spruced. If anyone unrightfully claims ownership of the initiative or idea, the balance in the system is disturbed and will suffer a multitude of consequences. However, it is important that hierarchy in this sense is not to be seen as a ‘power over’ but rather, as the etymological roots suggest, a sacred order.
The more connected the helpers feel energetically or even spiritually to the idea/vision and the more they are able to honour the special role of the source, the more they will connect to their own sourceship and power of manifestation. Source is the foundation of a ‘power with’ endeavour in which every person is invited to unfold their full potential for the benefit of the larger initiative.
The source of initiatives
The observation that every initiative has a point of origin, a moment when the idea was conceived and someone gave shape to what was previously shapeless, is especially pertinent in family owned businesses. However, identifying the source may not always be as obvious as it might appear at first sight. Often, the founding of the company is attributed to one person (for example the patriarch), but the driving force behind the initiative is in fact someone else (for example the matriarch of the family). It is therefore essential to examine closely who was the original life force before drawing premature conclusions about the identity of the source.
Even though the original source leaves something akin to a genetic imprint on the initiative through their own personal values, being source is a role that can, and at some point, should be transmitted to another person. The passing on of the baton is not a bureaucratic or legal act, but a ritual on an energetic level by which the founding values are passed on, but not necessarily the vision, which can change depending on a number of factors. Even if due diligence has been done to ensure that all the right contracts are in place, the source can remain with the original founder and the transmission has not occurred. If this is the case, the new leader/CEO, and subsequently the company, will be weakened. Succession ideally occurs if the person passing it over and the person receiving it are both conscious of and open to the process. Without full transmission of the source, a struggle for dominance and recognition ensues.
In family run businesses, it is not unusual that the passing of the source skips one generation. If the source remained with a grandparent that has already passed, the transfer might be accomplished through a personal ritual of initiation that honours the original source before the new CEO steps fully into his or her new responsibility as the new source. If the person fulfilling the role of source is still alive, this is a ritual that can and should be conducted in person. In some shape or form there has to be a moment of “letting go” of the old source for the succession to take place. At the same time, the new source has to decide consciously to accept her function and to honour the central values that were essential to the original source to fulfil her responsibility successfully.
A few of the tell-tale signs for the source not having been transferred (or not transferred fully) can be, that a newly appointed leader
- feels disconnected from the business,
- is unsure about next steps, has no vision,
- cannot feel what his or her place or purpose in the endeavour is,
- has no execution authority even though they have all the legal power,
- experiences power struggles with other people in the company or initative,
- is not accepted by others as the new leader.
It is important to consider that only one person can fulfill the role of the global source (the current guardian of the field). The ownership structure of a company or the distribution of profits are not tied to being source, however, the final say about strategic decisions is. All other specific sources in the field are autonomous in their actions unless they are in contradiction with the founding values of the original source.
The role of source in leadership
In any larger initiative, there are numerous sources for numerous projects. The bigger the entity, the more sources there are (or should be). The importance of accepting that the source will ‘sense’ more strongly than anyone else involved what has to be done, should not be underestimated. If the leader is the source, this is often more easily accepted than if a ‘normal’ employee or another family member is the source for a particular thought or project. However, no matter their position in the hierarchy, the source needs to be recognised so they can serve as the channel through which information flows from the space of potential into the initiative. A lack of recognition of source is often felt by members of the system and experienced as unfair, unjust or out of integrity. If leadership does not correct the injustice, the trust in the leaders and or the entire initiative is diminished. Acceptance of source creates harmony and trust.
Non-recognition of source often results either in a dictatorial approach to running the company (“I am the new boss now and you will do as I say!”) or in a spineless egalitarianism (“We are really all the same and we all have equal say!”). The first leads a high number of sick days and a work morale weakened by fear, whereas the latter leads to inefficiency and a culture that values comradeship over performance. Both will bleed the company of talent, since intelligent and self-responsible individuals will neither choose to work for a company in which submission to an authoritarian leader is required, nor a company in which every process is stalled because no one ever feels empowered to take a decision.
The responsibility of the source
The responsibility to recognise source, lies, to a large degree, with the source itself. A source that denies its power or ‘plays small,’ acting with false modesty, drains energy from the system. Often tensions and jealousy arise in the team or in the relationship and the project stagnates, because the flow of information is interrupted or even sabotaged by the source herself.
A source not standing in her/his power feels constantly undervalued by the environment and is looking for the origin of its hurt in the behaviour of others. On the contrary, a source that positions herself with a clear vision, becomes tangible for its environment and is an attractive and charismatic partner.
The power of love
The power of source is grounded in a kind of “Gelassenheit”, a stillness in listening that allows source to be the channel for something arising out of the field, the place of unlimited potential. A masterful source humbly recognises, that the act of creating is not to be confused with ownership, that I can never possess ‘my idea,’ the same way as even ‘my child’ is not my property.
Struggles for power and influence can throw the source off balance and disconnect it from the quality of listening, which made this act of creation possible in the first place. When this happens, source may attempt to counteract the loss of intrinsic authority by exercising extrinsic control, violence or by manipulating information for personal gain. As a consequence of this behavior, the source will cease to be a channel for information flowing through it and kill its access to creativity and wisdom.
The art of the source lies in balancing Power (the force of actualisation) and Love (the force of connection) in order to transform pure potential into something tangible. The loss of humility results in a failure of connection, a loss of love and a forceful execution of control inducing fear and creating false scarcity of resources. Martin Luther King speaks about this balance as follows: “Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anaemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”
This article was written by Nadjeschda Taranczewski and is based on the ideas of Peter Koenig who has researched the role of source in initiatives for many years.
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OTHER USEFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES
Source Work
Book: Work with Source by Tom Nixon
Book: A little red book about source by Stefan Merckelbach
Inner Work
Book: Conscious You: Become the Hero of Your Own Story by Nadjeschda Taranczewski.
