The Intentionality of Presence
This past week we lost the extraordinary presence that was Cecily Tyson. She radiantly infused her characters with power and dignity. Ms. Tyson exuded a fearlessness, re-enforced by a resiliency that inspired us with hope. Speaking with Gayle King in one of her last interviews, she told the story of a traumatic encounter with an older acting instructor that, even in that moment of retelling, shook her emotionally. She refused to let that event define her possibilities and end her dreams. "In my early years, there were a number of experiences that made me decide I could not afford the luxury of just being an actress. There were a number of issues I wanted to address. And I wanted to use my career as a platform."
“I want to be recalled as one who squared my shoulders in the service of Black women, as one who made us walk taller and envision greater for ourselves.”
Thank you, Ms. Tyson for being intentional in your portrayals—who and how you presented to the world. We are in your debt as someone who inspires us to seek and live our truth.
At the height of her career, Halima Aden walked away from being a high-fashion model. She had made headlines as the first model to wear a hijab in her photo shoots and runway assignments around the globe. Born in a refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya, Halima’s mother instilled in her the value of being a good role model for young girls. Those values came front and center as she began to feel a disconnect between what she was doing and what she held as true. "I had zero excitement because I couldn't see myself. I was so far removed.”
Halima also walked away from her her role as an ambassador for UNICEF. During a trip to Kakuma in 2018, she became discouraged at what she perceived as the lack of change from when she was there as a child. Passionate about children’s rights, she felt that the organization was more interested in its brand than the education of the children under its care. Her charity work for displaced children and building a platform for acceptance would still continue. "I don't think the world needs me as a model or celebrity, it needs me as Halima from Kakuma - somebody who understands the true value of a penny and the true value of community."
We often think about presence as how others perceive our physical bearing or appearance—our posture, manner, or demeanor. Presence also relates to a deeper understanding of what we bring to others. Through every decision and every action, we create our presence—our sense of being.
Grounded in purposefulness, iconic actress Cecily Tyson and budding filmmaker Halima shifted their intention and attention on future possibilities—ones that focused beyond their individual needs. A sense of responsibility, grounded in their cultural values (Somali and black American), framed the intentionality of their paths. MIT lecturer and author Otto Scharmer frames this as moving “from an “ego-system” focused entirely on the well-being of oneself to an “eco-system” awareness that emphasizes the well-being of the whole.“
Activating Intentionality
There is a beauty to the clarity of the decisions made by these two women. Intentionality, a directional focus of energy, is deliberate and purposeful with a high-level capacity to give meaningful context to our thoughts and behaviors. Rev. Michael Beckwith often speaks about an “intention order deficit” where we can be pulled in any direction, based on the circumstance, because we are not grounded in a value system.
With our value system at work and a goal or purpose in mind, our direction becomes intentional—not by chance. Our direction is meaningful because it’s based on something. We can assess the options, the possibilities, and the capacity to choose from them. This capacity is a state of being that is framed by our self-awareness and ability to shape and change ourselves, and the future, in relation to each other.
We can ask:
What intentional truth am I activating?
What are my organizing principles and values that will lead to and sustain beneficial change?
In jazz, this place of knowing comes through a practice we call Your Sound– establishing the style, approach, and consistency of your voice—which makes you unique. That is the experience shared with the audience.
Our presence—how we show up, what people recognize us for, and the impression we leave people with defines our authentic self. It is from this place that we can step into our emerging futures.
In many blog posts, we’ve discussed how leadership and values are related. That’s why we invite you to join Greg and co-host Dr. Gregg Henriques for session two of Body and Soul: The Mind of Culture at The Stoa on Monday, Feb. 8 from 5:30-7:00 pm ET. The conversation features cognitive scientist John Vervaeke and Integral philosopher Steve McIntosh on the theme, “Values as Energetic Transcendence.” They will discuss questions such as:
Do values have energy?
How are values and evolution related?
Can values point the way to overcoming and transcending the mess we’re in?
