TEDxJaffa / Paradigm Shift in Leadership
Shlomo Shoham
(PPT 1: Freezing Lake)
It's 4 in the morning /
The wise man dives into the freezing Russian river
to cleanse himself before his daily practice /
A new Policeman comes to town
and notices a crazy man swimming naked in the frozen river /
He grabs him fiercely, pulls him out and shouts:
Who are you? What do you want? Where are you going? //
The wise man looks into the Policeman’s eyes and asks:
"How much are they paying you for your new job?" /
"10 kapeykas a day", the policeman answers //
"I'm willing to pay you 20 kapeykas a day", the wise man says,
if you stop me every morning
on my way to my daily practice and ask me:
Who are you? What do you want? and Where are you going?" ///
(PPT 2: The three questions)
I ask MYSELF these three questions – every morning //
I ask YOU these three questions:
Who are you? What do you want? Where are you going? /
and I invite the LEADERS of our planet
to ask themselves these same three questions
before they make any crucial decision //
Through my service as a Judge and as the commissioner for
Future Generations in the Israeli Parliament
I've realized that the most effective way
to bring my high purpose into reality
is to train the future leaders of our planet ///
(PPT 3: Book Cover)
Our planet desperately needs leaders
who know where they want to go /
Global leaders who care about the entire world,
who do not make any separations between people
Leaders who understand the big picture
and envision the impacts
of their actions and decisions
as they ripple through time and space //
These leaders must be connected to their inner self,
attuned to their surroundings
and have a well-developed future intelligence ///
The definition of Future intelligence is : the human and social
ability required
to fashion and implement a desirable future
for humanity, for biological diversity and for the world //
The development of intelligences within the human race
is extremely impressive,
and yet, the human race has failed to develop intelligence
in a manner that will promise a better future for us ,
for our children and for future generations ///
What is this "muscle"
that the human race still needs to develop
in order to create a desirable future?! //
(PPT 4: Leadership in Survival Mode)
One of the main features of future intelligence
is the ability to let go of the survival mode
and enter the future creation mode //
The survival mode is characterized by
facing the future with anxiety, fearing and resisting change,
breaking away from core values, short term thinking,
power trips and reaction to past traumas ///
(PPT 5: Future Creation Mode)
The future creation mode, on the other hand,
portrays deep connection to our true self, authenticity
and the ability to act according to our core values /
When we are in the future creation mode
we have the courage to forgive and let go, /
We dare to make room for new ideas and for evolvement /
We create images of a desired future,
and we have the ability to be more flexible and adapt ourselves
to the rapid changes that take place in our world //
Many of our leaders today are in the survival mode,
captivated in power trips and guarding narrow interests /
Most of them were not trained
and have never practiced future thinking /
This is one of the reasons They do not give enough attention to
the needs of our children and future generations,
and do not entirely comprehend the extensive effects
that their every decision has on the entire world //
(PPT 6: Seneca)
As Seneca the Roman Orator said:
A captain who does not know
where he wishes to sail his ship,
No wind in the world will carry him there…" //
So how do you train tomorrow's leaders in future intelligence
and create a better world for us all? //
How does one transcend from a survival mode
to a future creating mode? ///
(PPT 8: Holistic Approach – the four circles)
For this exact reason we have established an academy that trains
leaders of the future
using various techniques /
Not only in the logical – intellectual dimension,
but rather in four different dimensions:
physical, emotional, intellectual
and the awareness dimension ///
Today we will get a little taste of the awareness dimension,
with the help of future imagery //
Research shows a clear correlation between
the ability to create a vision of the future
and the success in actualizing these ambitions /
Researchers agree that human development is strongly
affected
by hopes and future expectations /
Therefore, it is important to study our personal future images
in order to improve the quality of the pictures that guide us //
(PPT 9: Future Imagery)
As a meditation teacher in the past 20 years
I am inviting you to a journey, to experience a very small taste
of future imagery /
This short and simple tool
can give each and every one of us
a glance into the future we wish to create for ourselves //

(PPT 10: “Paradise” slide)
Take a deep deep breath // and exhale ///
And again // Take a deep breath / exhale… ///
Every time you take a new breath –
Draw new energy into your body,
and every time you exhale let go of tension and stress ///
I invite you to close your eyes and imagine:///
You are standing on the sea shore
watching the waves come and go //
Imagine that the waves are your thoughts /
For a magical moment
you can watch your thoughts from the outside /
Witness your thoughts // See them come and go //
Come and go, like the waves ///
Look back at your life and imagine your happiest moments //
When you were loved just the way you are /
You didn't need to do anything //
You didn’t have to prove anything ///
Take this feeling / Take these tastes, these colors, these smells /
Take them with you on your way from the past to the future //
Imagine yourself walking through a tunnel /
You can take with you into this tunnel only your happy moments /
The past is left behind //
At the end of the tunnel there is endless space /
Clean, clear and empty //
Take the feelings of these happiest moments in your life
and with them create your paradise // Your fantasy ///
The best paradise you can imagine ///
In the middle of your paradise you see a ladder /
You climb up the ladder and go higher and higher //
All of a sudden you stand on a canopy /
The sky of your paradise //
You are looking at the unknown /
You feel excited and shaky //
What do you see coming from the unknown? ///
Do you see the stars? //
You feel the wind on your face /
Is there a hint coming from the future? //
Maybe a word? ///
You see a figure coming towards you from the future /
You look carefully and realize it is you //
Your future self // you in 7 years from now ///
Your future self comes close to you /
You say hello to your future self and you hug each other /
What does your future self look like? ///
For a magical moment you can ask your future self a question //
What is the question you want to ask? //
Is there an answer or a hint? //
Is your future self happy? ///
What is the answer to your question? ///
You hug again and imagine the future you chose
out of endless possible futures,
coming into your body and you become one ///
You take this precious future with you
and come back down the ladder ///
Come back to your paradise /
And now, for a magical moment imagine
That the whole world is your haven /
What does your paradise look like? //
What has changed? //
Take a moment to feel that the entire world is your paradise /
You can go beyond your limitations… ///
Now come back //
Imagine yourself sitting in your chair
With roots growing out of your feet into the ground //
Bring your images into reality ///
Take a deep breath // Lower your head //
Look to the ground // Slowly open your eyes /////
Welcome back  ///
Now, for a magical moment, imagine, that all what you saw has
already happened….that the whole world is already your paradise
How do you feel? What it, practically, means to you?
Like the wise man in the beginning of our story you are invited to
ask yourself these three questions every morning
who am I , what do I want , where am I going.
You may not have always a clear answers for these questions,
yet this might be one of the most transformative gates on your way
to the creation of your desired future.
And, yes !!! You are invited to begin your journey on the path from
the survival mode to the future creation mode.
You can begin it - right here – right now
Thank you /// 