Center for Human Systems > About Us >Dragons and Organization Development
Why dragons symbolize organization development and me.
Dragons are known through out the world in virtually all climates, cultures, and eras as beings with horns, claws, breath of fire, great size (some small), wondrous wings (some wing-less), and marvelous colors. These serpentine creatures forever populate our myths, legends, and imaginations. Dragons are strong, fierce, powerful, and persuasive. As such, they are creatures of magic and power. In some Western, Christian-oriented cultures the magic and power of dragons is a masculine symbol of destruction to be slain. How ironic that it is a man's (St. George's) job to slay the dragons before it devours all that is feminine. (Some see this perspective as masculinity wanting to cover its paternalistic behind.) In many other cultures, dragons are positive symbols. For example Chinese dragons are symbols of good fortune. In the Aztec, Olmec, Mayan world, their dragon—Quetzalcoatl—symbolizes sustenance and re-birth. In the old Slavic world, some dragons—Zmaj —were friends of humans while others—Azdaja—were friends of witches and such. When they would fight great storms would occur.
The Center for Human Systems (in its vast and unbiased wisdom) is clear dragons are good or evil depending on how they are being treated. When treated well they are creatures of fertility and good fortune. As such, they are not only creatures of power and magic, but also creatures or possibility. When treated poorly, you'll understand not to f... with a dragon. Generally, no warning is need though one is offered anyway.
In these modern times, our scientific method would have us be sensible people who do not believe in dragons or magic or fairies or spirits or sprites or witches or wizards or anything that cannot be observed, measured, managed, and ultimately controlled. In the place of dragons and magic, it has given us the wonders of modern technology so that I can search the World Wide Web (which, by the way, is chockfull of dragons - check any search engine), and I call you on my teeny weenie cell phone from anywhere.
Caught up in the thrall of rationality, technology, and sensible adulthood we depend more and more on these things. In the process we put aside the part of ourselves that can love wholeheartedly, that can create a real castle (from what sensible adults would call a cardboard box), that can create possibility simply from believing we can. Those things can only be done if we believe in dragons—as magic, power, and possibility.
As a symbol of possibility, when I live as the dragon I am, I end the power struggles I create when I try to prove myself. I learn from our differences rather than work to convince to you (and myself) that I am right and good and handsome. The dragon I am loves fully with total focus, consummate passion, and direct action. I am irresistible and in wonder.
Only the dragon I am listens with compassion. I hear as I understand hostility and fear to be signals of pain needing healing. Only the dragon I am turns dysfunctional groups into synergic teams appreciative of each member's good heart, good intentions, and useful contributions. Only the dragon I am can see the systemic issues that drive organizational cultures to be blaming and dysfunctional so I can discover the levers that can most easily bring everyone to full alignment and the organization to full productivity and success.
Dragons are the symbol of the Center for Human Systems because only the dragon in us commands sufficient use of self for us to master the Seven Essential Tools which we can use to enable us to manage change within ourselves, with others, with groups, and with organizations. Hmm, sounds like I'll be putting together a program (a new book?) called "Becoming the Dragon You are!"
Thanks to my friend Ivan
Cvetkovic, web developer par excellence, for the information about
Slavic dragons.