Arnold Mindell – The Leader’s 2nd Training: Overview
1. Context and Purpose
- The first training refers to traditional education and leadership — developing skills, goals, and expertise to change the outer world.
- The second training is about inner awareness: becoming conscious of the subtle, invisible processes behind events — in yourself, others, and nature.
- Its purpose: to bridge inner experience and outer leadership, uniting psychology, spirituality, and worldwork.
2. Core Concept
- The leader’s awareness is not separate from the world; inner processes mirror world events.
- Leadership is both inner work (awareness, dreams, signals) and outer action (facilitation, decisions, community change).
- Becoming wave-like: Inner relationship work with inner figures melts into your outer relationship work — which is part of worldwork. In any case, worldwork does not work well without inner work and relationship work.
3. The Second Training Attitude
- The 2nd Training attitude understands that whatever or whoever catches your attention tends to see you, as well. Anything that catches your attention is also looking at you. See yourself through the viewpoint of all that catches your attention.
- The 2nd Training attitude is open-minded and understands that all relationships and/or organizations go through all phases. If you can occasionally have this generous process attitude, you are doing well with your 2nd Training. If you can be fluid and consider that enlightenment itself is a phase and not the goal, you will be more open and fluid with yourself and others.
4. Identity
- Individuals, families, organizations, and nations each form identities within the dreaming field.
- Effective leaders recognize and travel between these worlds, connecting roles and levels of identity.
- The second training continues throughout life, deepening as one’s awareness of dreaming and essence expands.
Mindell, Arnold (2019). The Leader’s 2nd Training: For Your Life and Our World (English Edition). Kindle Edition.
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