ILiA Evolution Doing, Being, Becoming
Part 1 (Doing) ILiA: What we have done
Integral Leadership in Action was conceived in an Open Space session in 2004 during an Integral Leadership seminar that was sponsored by Integral Institute. It featured Ken Wilber and Fred Kofman, and Jeff Salzman was a major organizing force. Dan Noble originated the idea of creating a follow-up group, and core collaborators from year one have been Cindy Wigglesworth, Victoria Wilson-Jones and Terry Poling. Their shared intent was twofold: 1) Continue the conversation that Ken and Fred stimulated and 2) Create a conference that each would personally like to attend.
In 2005, the first ILiA took place at the Westin in Westminster, CO. It was a heartfelt reunion of 40 people. Fred Kofman and Jeff Salzman joined-in, and the structure was relatively loose and open. People received 20 minute time slots to share how they were using Integral Leadership in their lives and work. Their goal was to break even (they did) and experience the joy of being in a community of like-minded cohorts (they succeeded).
October 2007: The second conference (ILiA2) took place in partnership with Integral Institute (II) at the Westin in Westminster, CO. This conference represented a shift – it was more formal and structured and featured cutting edge integral speakers: Susanne Cook-Greuter, Diane Hamilton, and Willow Pearson. Two compelling case studies were shared: 1) Using integral to help with homelessness and 2) Adapting integral in Africa to educate local leaders in AIDS prevention. There were 75 participants and a chunk of them were students in the JFK Master’s program. Because II participated as a partner (to the great relief and appreciation of the planning team), ILiA broke even (that was the goal).
October 2008: ILiA teamed up with Boulder Integral in Boulder, CO. The theme was: 2008 ILiA Collaborative: Leading from Goodness, Truth and Beauty. The conference structure became more formalized with keynotes, plenaries, breakout sessions, pre-conference and post-conference workshops. The design emphasized mind, body and spirit paying attention to building community and socializing. The keynote speakers were: Steve McIntosh, Andrew Cohen, Elizabeth DeBold, and Terry Patten (and many other notable presenters in breakout sessions). Jeff Salzman and Diane Hamilton partnered to hold and develop the “we” space. Stuart Davis provided edgy entertainment to everyone’s enjoyment. The goal was to not only break even but to create a seed fund for future conferences (they succeeded).
October 2009: ILiA did not officially “team-up” or partner with another group but did develop on-going relationships with “official” sponsors and partners. They broke loose from Colorado and headed to The Crossings in Austin, Texas. The theme was: Consciously Leading and Living Through Turbulence and Change. The keynote presenters were: Don Beck, Rand Stagen, Barry Johnson, Fran Johnston, Bert Parlee, and Bill Joiner. There was a large variety of break out sessions from prominent Integral contributors. The goal was to earn seed money (they succeeded).
