•What We Think About Leadership•

Humans have been identifying patterns
since they first looked to the heavens
for physical and spiritual direction.
For centuries, stories about struggle and survival
were prompted into organized expression
by the observed star patterns.
The stars continue to lend wonderful metaphors
for understanding the individual relationships
existing within our own earth-bound family systems.
In ways similar to pointing out constellations
for our children on a clear, starry night,
our individual stories pinpoint the shape and outline of our lives.
Each narrative becomes part of a “dot-to-dot constellation,”
connecting each one of us to the outcomes of those around us.
Acting as landmarks rather than hefty anchors,
our stories are sacred narratives.
Whether retold within families,
across generations,
or in congregations —
these stories help us wayfind our experiences.

Humankind can only approximate
the path to which God has oriented us,
and we often walk by faith toward points not visible.
From this place —
this “dot of our existence” —
Proxxima’s mission seeks to illustrate and articulate
what can be observed and shared
along the journey of leadership.
Noting that Jesus taught with stories,
our trust in this human connection is best articulated
in a phrase from a poem by Muriel Rukeyser:
The Universe is made up of stories, not atoms.*
. . . and this where the Quest for today’s Leader/Hero begins.

To aid the Leader in the journey we offer
online resources that reveal the converging and diverging energies
that can be gathered and focused for leading healthy communities.
Proxxima’s objective
is to enhance awareness of conflict nuance,
to avoid the traps of superficial resolution
— and to sustain faithful relationships.

We can promise that,
although the anxious energy in conflict’s presence
can seemingly deplete hope,
conflict can also rally energy
to move us in the direction of God’s call.

For the Leader/Hero,
arrival is really never complete.
As in travel to deep space,
your Destination will ask many things of you.
Along the journey you may gather stories
that wayfind your experience,
honing your ability to lead.

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*Rukeyser, Muriel. The Speed of Darkness. : Random House, 1968.