Cultivating The Sage's Creative Vision: Insights from Perennial Wisdom on Approaching Organizational Change and Sustainability

Abstract

Within many meditative traditions and also within shamanism, there is an emphasis on cultivating a transformed and penetrating way of perception. Through this perception, termed in this paper as creative vision, the possibilities or potentialities in any situation are clarified and brought to fruition. The result is described within some traditions as a perception imbued with “clarity, intelligence and unboundedness”. This paper explores the process by which creative vision is cultivated, and how such vision may be vitally useful in meeting the challenges of organizational change and sustainability on our rapidly developing planet. Guiding insights and practical advice grounded in the perennial wisdom traditions are presented against the backdrop of recent research in the areas of Buddhist and cognitive psychology, perspectivetaking, altruism, organizational change, organizational development, sustainability and systems theory. We conclude by suggesting how a sage’s creative vision is valuable in overcoming resistance to organizational change, creating alternatives for action and invigorating action. O Vision