Toke Moeller leader of the month

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Leader of the Month for December 2005:

Toke Møller

When asked to recount his story, Toke Møller introduces this quotation from Shakespeare: "Oh, learning – what a thing it is!” Toke offers his thoughts on learning below.

It is my assumption that learning is a natural, inherent state of awareness—of being present in the Now, so that we learn from everything in and around us, both individually and collectively. In these times, learning is a much-needed core competence for all human beings. Dialogue, courageous and wise actions, and reflection are practices that cultivate this competence.

If this is learning, what then is unlearning? Or we could say, how do we arrive at a higher level of learning?

To walk away from, to leave behind, to shed some intellectual skin. To suspend or let go of old thought patterns and give up my rights and wrongs. This is important for higher learning to occur.

Letting go opens space for me to take in new perspectives, information, and insights. The journey then goes through the country of my “not knowing,” or chaos if you like. Chaos is uncomfortable because for a while I may lose my known ground, my views of the world as I have seen it.

But I have come to understand chaos as a gift, because it has new order and deeper levels of understanding hidden within. Letting go to be in the state of learning-hidden-inside is a practice, not just a theory.

Do I have the courage to start and continue practicing the art of letting go?

I have found no more useful and powerful place to be than in the Now. This place is hidden inside me and collectively between us. To be present in the Now takes focus, letting go, courage, heartfelt longing, and a spirit of inquiry.

Thinking about and explaining the Now will not take us there. Letting go, acceptance of the way life is, and breathing consciously will.

Being in the Now, having suspended my previous understandings for the sake of learning something new, there is also another wonderful ingredient available to us. We can build in a spirit of inquiry, curiosity, and passion for making meaning of what we see, experience, think, and do.

When we honor this spirit, follow it, and love it, we enter the dance of learning and unlearning, of letting go and taking in the new perspectives and understandings needed to go on living with meaning in my life every moment.

The death of old worldviews and mindsets is a painful and confusing process to begin with, but it always brings greater clarity, purpose, and new direction.

Shifting the mindset every once in a while is not a luxury or intellectual pastime, but a healthy and needed exercise that allows us to keep coping in a complex and confusing world.

Once I was invited by a very good teacher of mine to learn something new. I thought myself to be very clever already and understood very well why I had been invited to this training. I did not speak this to others, of course, knowing—in theory—that humility is the name of the learning game.

At the first session he told me, “If you want to learn anything about this topic, first let go of everything you think you know about it. If you can let go of it, stay. If you cannot—leave now!”

Unlearning and letting go took place in seconds. I wanted to learn more than I wanted to keep up appearances.

I was invited into a great dance, and I accepted. The shift had already happened.

Let go into unlearning, give up being clever, seek what is truly meaningful to you, and enter the beautiful dance of learning and unlearning where life is unfolding.

“On the other side of right doing and wrong doing there is a field. I will meet you there.” —Rumi

Current personal passion: the practice of the art of opening and hosting meaningful and inspired spaces in new and needed places; in addition, practicing being connected to my breath

Dream: that every human being will live in the experience of meaning, courage, dignity and peace

Tenneson Woolf shares the following about Toke Møller, "Never before have I met such a person as Toke. He is dedicated to purpose, always, and has a unique ability to call others to purpose and possibility. He does so with his commitment, presence, and authenticity, whether working with an individual, a team, or a company. He is the best example I've known of one who carries the energy of both warrior and midwife. He does what good leaders do -- inspires those around him to lead also. That changes the world."

Favorite book: Tao Te Ching by Lao Zu because it invites me to reflect on the essence of life and the art of being human.

Most admired leaders: Prem Rawat and Nelson Mandela because they lead from the heart with strength and compassion.