I am SO looking forward to seeing everyone at Leadership in a Self-organizing World!

I have been working with Open Space since 1994. From the beginning, it was a lesson is what it means to be conscious of self-organizing systems. And it was home from the start. Since 1994, I have opened spaces for businesses, government, non-profits, and communities. In 1996, when Harrison was traveling across the country and suggested the idea of the Open Space Institute, I was in. It was my first experiment with what it means to be a conscious self-organizing system. We started the listserv (actually, this was a spontaneous act of generosity by Murli Nagasundaram), we created the first web site, and things have bubbled ever since.

One primary source of deep learning came through the inspiration of AnneStadler?, when Spirited Work was born. It was a deep and extended experience into leadership in a self-organizing world. With other Spirited Work colleagues, I have co-hosted a variety of gatherings, including:

• [Journalism that Matters] - an 8 year project with StephenSilha?
• [Practice of Peace] - the first of a series of life-changing gatherings
• [The Evolutionary Salons] - 4 gatherings co-hosted with Tom Atlee, Michael Dowd, and friends
• [Story Field Conference] - an inquiry into what it takes to change a cultural narrative, co-hosted with Tom Atlee, MarkJones, CandiFoon, AnneStadler?, and friends

With an amazing community of friends from around the world, a world view heavily influenced by essence of Open Space - to take responsibility for what I love as an act of service - I am having an all round good time. And I believe bringing a greater capacity for conscious self-organization more broadly into our collective story of what it means to be human.

Along the way, I have published a book that people tell me they find useful: [The Change Handbook, 2nd edition] (Berrett-Koehler, 2007).

My lessons from Open Space:

• Generosity of spirit (from the moment Harrison gave it away rather than trademarking it)
• Simplicity of design (from hearing Harrison's question, what's one less thing to do and have this be whole and complete?)
• Inclusion / Invitation (welcoming the stranger can be rough at times, but worth it)
• Essence (what is there in open space but the essence of taking responsibility for what I/we care about?)
• Abundance (time and space are infinitely expandable)

For more about me, go to [www.opencirclecompany.com] or contact me at mailto:peggy@opencirclecompany.com.