Our 33 trainers and 200 volunteers descended on our mandala earth and ecobrick park yesterday for the final phase of contruction It was a unique experience for me to relax through the completion and finishing stages of construction. Typically, when leading a build, you are fully immersed in ensuring that all the last details are fully taken care of before the energy ebbs out of the collective focus. However, this time (after having a few years to reflect on things) we fundamentally changed the way the collaboration is led.
Over the first days, I did indeed take charge– leading by example, I ensured everyone of our participants was doing things properly and that the build was unfolding to plan. For the last days however, I shifted the leadership over to the participant. The 33 participants were given full charge of leading the 200 volunteers. Four participants got about 20-30 volunteers to present to, mobilize and lead. It was a breakthrough shift for me, to let go of control, trust our participants, and let them run the show.
And wow! What a show.
I’ve done lots of earth and ecobrick constructions, and I know from first hand experience how easy it is to misjudge how long a build will take. I am proud to say though, through the exquisite project management of Shanti, Nina, and their team, the leadership of our 33 participants, and the hard work of our two hundred volunteers… we did it! It was amazing to watch how the transfer of responsibility to our participants resulted in the same passionate attention to detail that i would normally muster– but times 33! We literally had thirty project coordinators working in symphony to see each of the eight components of the park through to meticulous completion. And miraculously, we wrapped up the build with a few hours left in the late afternoon– enough time to circle up with our team of new earth builder trainers, and reflect on the last five days.
We heard in the circle from 33 new ecobrick earthbuilder tainers who, directly because of their experience leading the last two days, now feel confident to lead their own earth and ecobrick builds– without me of course! We share the intention to build with earth and ecobricks, and we also share the intention to see our world greener and more joyfully connected to the earth.
And now we’re applying the full power of mandalic collaboration to see both intentions manifest.
