## Resilient Koan 02 - Charisma and Learning *"What is the role of charisma in facilitating third-loop learning at a regional community-scale?"* The discussion that lead to this koan: * Regional resilience may be more likely if there is a community capacity and inclination to consider new sets of alternatives from which to choose (ref: Bateson's definition of third-loop learning, slightly different emphasis to [Torbert's](http://wearearising.org/2009/01/09/developing-as-a-leader-through-action-inquiry/)) * One experience that people and organisations in regional communities can probably relate to is some person from outside being the source of inspiration, and hailed as someone who may generate fresh thinking and new alternatives that had not yet been considered. For example, an international expert in community visioning, a consultant from the big-smoke, a new person in town with expertise and exciting ideas. * We considered to what degree these sorts of interventions from outside by charismatic people may be violent. Violent in the way that pointing out someone's limitations or faults to them is a sort of violence. And yet, charismatic leaders, consultants and experts may be what people in regional communities want, ask for, and therefore get. And there would be examples of where those charismatic leaders generated some shifts and changes. But was that process and those changes and new choices ultimately in service of the resilience of that community? So then, "What is the role of charisma in facilitating third-loop learning at a regional community-scale?" Andrew considered this koan during the week. A response was: The role of charisma seems to be defined by the community. What we as practitioners may identify as being the appropriate role of charisma for the resilience of the community is completely different and probably not relevant at all to what the community\* wants. Perhaps the conversation between the practitioner and some fictionalised embodiment of the dominant cultural perspective in the community would go something like: Practitioner: "What do you need?" Community: "A charismatic leader" Practitioner: "If you say so..." Attempts by the Practitioner to say "Well, perhaps this is what you need, or what you might need in the future is...?" may be met by: "We said what we need is a charismatic leader". And the best thing the practitioner may do is not tell anyone or inquire into what else might be needed, rather just set it up and do it anyway for when that need does arise? --- This is one in a series of 25 'Resilient Koans' documenting "an apithologue into the koans of practice discovered while creating resilient sustainable communities", in 2010.