THE KEYNES CENTRE

A developmental space for transforming how we think

We all organise our experiences into the meaning and truths that govern our conduct and behaviour. And, while we all have the potential to grow and develop throughout our adulthood, this potential is not equally developed by all. Most of us plateau at a level of development which is not aligned with the demands of the modern world. We are ‘in over our heads’ – but we need not be.

This feeling of being in over our heads has consequences, such as anxiety, burnout, and stress. As Robert Kegan notes, “The much bigger contributor to burnout [than, for example, being overloaded or overworked] is being too long on the same developmental plateau without experiencing the vitalising and renewing effects of your own increase.”

We need to keep ourselves growing individually. Our families, organisations, and society need that of us as well. The Keynes Centre specialises in supporting people who want to continue their development throughout their adulthood. It does so by working on how we think with particular focus on the key activities of concept and theory-using and judgement-making.

Undertaking personal development is also one of the most enriching things we can do. This is distinct from further education and training – that is, knowledge, information, and skills acquisition. It is about genuine transformation of our current ways of knowing and relating to others, ourselves, and the world in which we live.

We now understand that this kind of development is ultimately a matter of choice. As Robert Kegan says, “It all starts with recognising you have a right to keep growing and developing, you’re wired to grow, you’re meant to grow, you have a right to that. Nobody can deprive you of your right to keep growing and developing.”

Although this idea is one of the major discoveries of the late 20th century, it is still insufficiently known and appreciated. Our mission is to promote understanding of this idea through showing how it works in various practices. Our book, The Leadership Mind, the main outcome of the original practice-based research undertaken by The Keynes Centre over the last decade, is intended to spread this understanding through its thinking about a vital phenomenon for society.

The Keynes Centre is a pioneer in creating the conditions and developing the methods through which we may voluntarily and systematically undertake this transformation of how we think. By attending to how we use concepts and theories and how we make judgements, we can undertake two major developmental shifts for adult development.

Our orientation is to liberate ourselves from the assumptions, values, perspectives, and beliefs in which we are embedded at any time so that we can intentionally and deliberately enlarge our capability for constructing our reality through organising our experiences into meanings and truths. This approach is based on the observation of John Maynard Keynes that “The difficulty lies not so much in new ideas as in escaping old ones”.

Prof. Connell Fanning and Dr. Assumpta O'Kane, co-authors of The Leadership Mind
Connell Fanning and Assumpta O'Kane

Reactions to The Leadership Mind

The Leadership Mind draws back the elusiveness from leadership - simply and clearly, and makes it accessible to ordinary folk living ordinary lives. It clarifies that leadership is not just for the few like Robert Kennedy or Nelson Mandela, but that everyone – even a quiet female dolt like me - potentially has a ‘leadership moment’ in them. There is something quite revelatory about that, I find – their assertion that leadership is not for the exclusive few. It can change you. That said, it’s a provocative read - challenging, demanding thinking, and thinking about how you’re thinking. Truly worth spending some time with.

This book provides the opportunity to look at leadership as a capability which people must develop within themselves. It clearly outlines the differentiation of management from leadership. The authors also provide an interesting exploration of the significance of insight.

In a rapidly changing world this book encourages us to pay attention to how we think about change and how it can be a deliberate choice rather than a fateful one! It helps us to understand the importance of continued self development which many of us don’t always pursue. Thought provoking, insightful and definitely worth a read. – Nuala Ryan

It is exciting to see how it is already transforming how people think and consider leadership personally and professionally.