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WINDEAGLE AND RAINBOWHAWK KINNEY-LINTON

Ancient Wisdom Council

The first people had questions and they were free. The second people had answers and they became enslaved.

—Native American Wisdom

Way of the Council:Using Universal Intelligences

The CEO of a major telecommunications organization stands in the center of a circle of 500 employees. They are seated in ascending rings of chairs arranged in groups of the eight colors of the rainbow.¹ “We are at a major crossroads in the life of our organization,” he begins. “We have a significant opportunity to take this division to a new level. This is not going to happen because of me. It is going to happen because of you. And as a result, I will be able to play more golf.” He continues, “I want this company of talented people to become self-directed, self-motivated, and self-organized. You can do it, take over this company! For the next few days, we shall engage each other in council to infuse new life into this company.”

This opened an intensive five days with members of the Central and South American division. Using the Ancient Wisdom Council, they restructured and revitalized their organization, adapting to new opportunities and conditions evolving in their field.

During the five-day conference, the employees gathered in ten groups of 50 members. Each group focused on an element of the company’s overall program. Within the ten groups, people organized into the eight units of the Ancient Wisdom Council. Called societies, each unit represented an energy of intelligence that contributes to the overall well-being of a balanced, healthy organization or community.

Each group went into their breakout room. They filled the “question basket” with questions or issues about their element’s relationship to the organization. They collated the responses into 8 to 16 topic areas and prioritized the topics using the “ten stone” method. This simple process expresses the collective’s priorities, as each individual places four stones on their first priority, three on their second priority, and so on. Tallying the results sequences the priorities (figure 1).

Figure 1. The Steps of the Process

Each of the ten groups identified six to ten topics for the council process to surface wisdom for change. Topics included: How do we build trust and communication between management and line personnel? What processes can speed response time to client’s requests and needs? How can line personnel share their client experience with research and development?

Within each group, one unit held the perspective of one of eight intelligences, seeing through the lens of:

Creation Intelligence—freedom and creativity,

Perceptual Intelligence—present condition and appreciation,

Emotional Intelligence—power and danger,

Pathfinding Intelligence—purpose and direction,

Sustaining Intelligence—maintenance and balance,

Predictive Intelligence—interrelatedness and timing,

Decisive Intelligence—clarity and action,

Energia Intelligence—integrity and vitality.

Exploring through these lenses revealed needed changes in the topic areas. The group’s enthusiasm and vitality grew each day, and a strong unity of purpose manifested. During the sessions of council, the CEO visited the different groups, listened, and took many notes. Later, he said, “This is amazing! Why haven’t I heard these things before? We need to keep this process going permanently in this division.”

At 1:00 A.M. on the third day, the team holding the event met, asking a key question, “What is needed now to start the fire of transformation?” The time we spent that night—asking ourselves how to fly across the void, how to leap into a new time—called us all to our edge. We could all feel it was time for a shift.

The next day, in a room of 500 people, 16 seats in the circle’s center remained empty. They were the council seats, reserved for the leaders. We called to the people and asked, “Who will step forward? Who will speak for the people? Who will take responsibility to make the changes we need here?” And we waited.

One at a time, they came from their seats. First a woman, then a man, then another and another until there were 16. They spoke briefly to each other and then stood and spoke one at a time about what they perceived was needed. Then one of them took the microphone and called management to join them. There was silence.

One at a time, the managers came until there were 20. Each spoke to all of us. After the last one had finished, a man in the audience stood and began to chant. He began calling all the people to stand, to step forward, to be part of the change. One at a time, they stood, all 500. They came forward to the center, until all the seats were empty. And the teams of 50 each, gathered once again, recognizing it was up to them to make the changes, to make it live.

What happened? The people accessed their individual and collective voices to contribute their own wisdom, to stand and speak and be recognized for the gifts they brought. A new vitality of collective and individual investment infused the life of the organization.

The Basics

WHAT IS THE ANCIENT WISDOM COUNCIL?

The Ancient Wisdom Council is a deep process that enables participants to step back from the pressures and demands of any situation and open their minds and hearts to listen, to consider, and to source wisdom from deep reflection. It begins with a question that the person, group, community, or team surfaces that affects the well-being of the whole.

The purpose of council is to access the wisdom for addressing an issue or solving deep conflict, allowing the community or group to put their agreement and energy behind new solutions. The Ancient Wisdom Council opens the mind to new thinking by “seeing” through eight different perspectives and accessing the voice and genius of the people. This ancient wisdom is part of many tribal cultures. It was typical for chosen elders of deep integrity to speak for the people, representing each of the perspectives. Part of the training was to speak, not as an individual—with accompanying biases—but for the benefit of the entire group.

Today, council is used by individuals, families, communities, and organizational teams. The only necessary tools, other than understanding the eight perspectives, are the ability to listen deeply, hold respect for the other, and to profoundly care for the integrity of the whole. Those who experience the depth of council find their thoughts expressed by others. Trust deepens, the ability to find collective wisdom is heightened, and the energy for taking a project or new idea to completion is enhanced.

It is important to initiate this process by opening the question, or opening the mind. Hearing from those involved, a question emerges that encompasses the chosen issue. Once clear, those preparing to speak deeply reflect, setting aside personal opinion and looking strictly through the lens of the perspective they represent. Following this, the council begins. Each perspective typically has two speakers, ideally a woman and a man, to share from that direction. They offer their thoughts and recommendations one by one, without interruption on the presenting question.

As input from each intelligence perspective accumulates, agreement takes shape and council recommendations are passed to task forces for implementation. If the first pass around the council does not provide the needed insights and clarity, the question is passed again for deeper reflection.

The universal intelligences and the Ancient Wisdom Council are part of a larger body of wisdom for developing higher states of consciousness.

Table of Uses

About the Authors

WindEagle and RainbowHawk Kinney-Linton are cofounders and directors of Ehama Institute ([email protected]). Both are trained keepers and medicine teachers of the Delicate Lodge Teachings, a body of wisdom having its origins in Meso America with Mayan and Toltec cultures. With the staff of Ehama Institute, they have shared these teachings in two-year training programs in the United States and Europe. They have addressed diverse issues through the council process and a variety of other community tools with businesses, community groups, families, and individuals in the United States and Europe since 1987.

Where to Go for More Information

REFERENCES

Carlin, Peter. “How to Make a Decision Like a Tribe.” Fast Company (November 1995 [premiere issue]): 105.

Kinney-Linton, WindEagle, and RainbowHawk. Heart Seeds: A Message from the Ancestors. Minneapolis: Beaver’s Pond Press, 2003.

ORGANIZATIONS

DanceHammers—www.dancehammers.org

Ehama Institute—www.ehama.org

Note: The steps of the Ancient Wisdom Council are different from the Center for Wise Democracy’s Wisdom Council process defined on page 225 in chapter 18, “Dynamic Facilitation.”

1. The colors of the rainbow are a continuous spectrum. In this tradition, the spectrum is divided into eight graduations to correspond to the four cardinal directions and the four marriage points between them.