LP: You talk about being a "recovering knower." How did you come to identify yourself as a knower and what was the downside of this behavior?

BH: As many people do, I started "knowing" at a young age. I enjoyed the praise and recognition I received for my strong performance in various areas. But when I wasn't successful in something, I found ways to blame others or to devalue the activity. For example, when I went to college, I really wanted to play on the basketball team. I had done well in high school and went to college with the expectation of making the team. But I played soccer in the fall, and when I tried out for the basketball team, I didn't make it. For years, I explained that disappointment away with excuses: "Those dumb coaches had these tryouts when I had a soccer game. How did they expect me to make the team?"

This pattern continued through graduate school and into my first few jobs. But as the stakes grew higher, so did the internal pressure to always know the right answer and to be the best at whatever I tried. And this mindset also began to interfere with my ability to be a leader. So, after a particularly stressful on-the- job experience, I realized that I had to change--I had to become a learner.

LP: So, you became more of a learner when you accepted your limitations?

BH: Yes, but more than that, acknowledged them publicly. As a knower you get stuck. You get into a challenging situation in which you can't possibly know everything and think, "What am I going to do? How am I going to get past this without anyone knowing that I'm scared and that I don't dare admit it?" So you live with your fear, preferring to hide what you can't do.

In the last 10 years or so, it has become clear to me how powerful it is to publicly let go of old views you have of yourself. It allows you to focus on what you can do, to continually develop in those areas where you really have strengths.

LP: As we continually develop, aren't we always seeking knowledge? And as we attain that knowledge, aren't we becoming knowers all over again?

BH: There's a big difference between having knowledge and being a knower. Yes, we become learners to have knowledge. But I would define knowledge as an ability to produce your desired results. You could say it's okay to be a knower, but not okay to stay a knower. The world is constantly changing, so the knowledge that helped you yesterday may not actually get you the results you want today. Your knowledge becomes obsolete. And that's when the dynamic of the knower kicks in: when we hold onto knowledge that isn't working anymore. The key difference between having knowledge and being a knower is a willingness to be influenced. A learner is always willing to be influenced by new information or perspectives.

Register by December 31 to get the lowest early prices!
Join us at the centrally located Sheraton Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, November 17-19, 2008, and help us build on the extraordinary energy of the 2007 conference experience.

Among those on hand to shape the conversation will be four truly inspirational thought leaders:

Betty Sue Flowers, director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum and a coauthor of Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations, and Society

Adam Kahane, a partner in Generon Reos LLC, and author of Solving Tough Problems: An Open Way of Talking, Listening, and Creating New Realities

Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and author of eight books including Respect: An Exploration and The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can Learn from Each Other

Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline, coauthor of Presence, and founding chair of SoL, the Society for Organizational Learning

Individuals register for just $950 through December 31!

Teams of 4 or more pay even less.
Call for details at 1-800-272- 0945.

Contrary to popular opinion, most change happens in small disruptive shifts, not through overarching change management programs. A top- down, structured approach can be useful for implementing a specific initiative. However, real transformation occurs when people from within the organizational ranks open up new avenues of perspective through their innate capacity for curiosity and reinvention. "Creative disruption" is the initiation of small movements that lead to sustainable change.

You have the capacity to initiate this kind of change. Starting with yourself, begin to cut a path of creative disruption. Inquiry and listening, done with integrity, are contagious. Practice them with a passion and intensity that will ignite a creative movement forward across your organization. Here are some strategies to consider in cutting a path:

Start with You.
Shift your orientation from one of constant reaction to problems to one of creative possibilities. Ask yourself, "What can I create from where I am today?"

Look for Opportunities to Disrupt.
Notice dysfunctional processes or systems and step forward with good intention to ask targeted questions. Sometimes change takes hold when one person initiates an exploration.

Build the Capability for Powerful Conversations
Design and deliver learning experiences based on inquiry, listening, and other tools that facilitate the disruption of systems. Increase awareness of how our beliefs and assumptions impact our organizational results.

Create Space.
Create space (literally and figuratively) for people to have conversations about things that they care about. Integrate reflective conversation into existing development and learning programs.

Integrate the Tools of Creative Disruption into Existing Change Programs.
Ensure that key players involved in any large-scale change are well versed in the skills and tools of creative disruption. Inquiry will enhance the success of the change and build organizational capability for the long term.