It was a great privilege –and at the same time pure luck– to meet some of the most amazing (witty, spiritual, funny, etc.) ladies that I have ever known. The book signing event for Winning From Within was promoted by the local chapter of Conscious Capitalism. I expected it to be a pleasant gathering, somewhere in a Financial District conference room. It is the reason why I was not able to find the address listed for the event, which actually took place in the lovely, candle lit, aesthetically faultless, workspace of Christine McCaull (Milsal & McCaull): a superb victorian home, with a concert piano, a long family table, and couches by the fireplace. Home-made, organic and delicious dinner was served (kale, rice, lentils, lettuce & yogurt salad), which I paired with an excellent Malbec. And as if that was not enough, Christine McCaull and Adam Bauer, helped by their delicate (but powerful) voices and a harmonium, delighted our ears with two amazing chants.
It was in this atmosphere that I met Harvard Law School lecturer and thought-leader Erica Ariel Fox, who talked about her new book, Winning From Within, as well as about her adventurous attempt to bridge the often encountered dissonance between leadership and meaningful existence. It is useless to mention here Erica’s warm, witty and powerful energy — you would really have to experience that first hand. But one thing I am sure: most of the above mentioned qualities come from Erica’s Romanian ancestors. Why am I so sure? Because I am also Romanian, of course!
Winning From Within is a delicious example of a –constructive, well intentioned– psychological double bind: once one connects with his or her self within, there is no winning or losing involved. The paradigm shifts from competition to partnership, the system rearranges itself in a new, meaningful and fully business wise functional, homeostasis. However, the word winning is necessary in order to engage a larger range of business people who might be otherwise reticent, although perfectly able to thrive in a new business paradigm.
It is obvious that I cannot end this blog entry without mentioning the lovely, lively and full of laughter conversation I had with Amy Fox, Kath Delaney and their team. Really, I haven’t laughed so much in a while, and the kindness, wisdom and intelligence of these ladies reminded me of the comfort I feel with my old, good friends.
Bellow I put together a small slideshow. It is really a pale reflection (also because of the low, candle light in the room, hard to capture on an iPhone camera) of what last evening event was.