Personal Mastery

Personal Mastery

Peter Senge describes personal mastery as “approaching one’s life as a creative work”—“living life from a creative, as opposed to a reactive viewpoint.” This involves two “movements”:

1. Clarifying what is important to us, and
2. Learning to see current reality more clearly—and more honestly and directly.

Please do note that what Senge is saying personal mastery is. It is not dominance—as over people or things. But is can be a special level of proficiency—as demonstrated by a master craftsman who coaxes a work of art from the materials he has at hand.

Senge identifies several characteristics of those achieving personal mastery. These persons have the following:

• A special sense of purpose that lies behind their visions and goals. Their vision is “a calling,” not just a good idea.
  An inquisitive and committed nature.
• An ability to see reality more accurately.
• A sense of connectedness to life, to others and to larger creative processes, which they can influence but not unilaterally control.

These people “live in a continual learning mode. They never arrive.” Senge says that personal mastery is a process “the journey is the reward”—a life-long discipline. Perhaps paradoxically, people with a high level of personal mastery are also acutely aware of their ignorance, their incompetence, their growth areas—and yet they are deeply self-confident.

Next week, I'll talk more about Personal Vision.