Emergence

Samuel Johnson, the essayist, poet and lexicographer wrote the First Comprehensive English Dictionary (1755). Curious from hearing recent items on R4 referring to it, I took a look (the wonders of the Internet!). I looked to see what it said about the word 'emergent' which has come up in several ways in the last couple of days.

I came across the phrase "The Emergent Leaders Programme" yesterday while doing research on leadership development work in South Africa (for my application for a Winston Churchill Travel Fellowship). This aims to support people to develop skills needed in moving into leadership roles.

At the end of the day I went to a fascinating talk by Nick Clements about his work with disaffected young males. Clements has written a book called "using The Ugly Duckling to find the missing link between boys and men". In it, he explains the archetypal themes in Hans Christian Andersen's autobiographical tale (a metaphor for a boy growing up without a father) and how this relates to Clements' own work in assisting teenagers through rites of passage into adulthood, to emerge knowing who they are without the need for their 'armoury'.

Then this morning I came from a meeting about a new programme which will include Action Learning to help bring social entrepreneur's ideas into fruition. The year-long programme will support them to develop what starts with a germ of an idea into a successful enterprise making a positive difference to their communities.

On the way back to the car I noticed spiky shells on the ground, burst open to reveal the beautiful red shiny new chestnuts that have been developing through the year inside the 'shells' - ripe and ready at the start of another stage of growth. Nature often provides us with these symbols.

So coming back to 'emergence' as described in Johnson's First Dictionary - to rise out of that which obscures or overwhelms it; rising into view. Three different groups of people - leaders, young people who struggle with what their circumstances have dealt them with, and entrepreneurs who have a desire to make a positive change - and different types of support but with the same purpose - to allow something from inside themselves to emerge into view, just as the chestnut out of its shell.

Photo: Laura Crichton