Cheryl Esposito welcomes Craig and Patricia Neal, co-founders of The Heartland Circle and co-authors of The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations.

Do you call meetings, schedule meetings, or do you convene meetings? Craig & Patricia Neal say that convening has become an essential skill for leaders in today’s world. It is “an expression of intentional leadership and transformation.” Craig & Patricia created the Art of Convening, as a practice for holding authentic meetings, gatherings, and conversations. You can improve outcomes, results, and connections leading to positive transformation of your organization, teams, and communities.

In this conversation, you will learn ways of preparing yourself for a gathering and why that matters; understand how to set the stage for powerful interactions in gatherings; and how to observe and shepherd the interactions of participants with each other.

Peter Block, author of Community: The Structure of Belonging, says that one of the three tasks of leadership is to “…initiate and convene conversations that shift people’s experience, which occurs through the way people are brought together and the nature of the questions used to engage them.” (Listen to Cheryl’s conversation with Peter Block.) The Art of Convening is the roadmap for achieving this.

Craig’s early “awakening to a greater purpose” at the March on Washington, combined with Patricia’s vision for creating a global community of new leaders led them to found Heartland Circle, with the purpose to create essential conversations among individuals and within organizations. “Heartland is home to those of us telling the new stories and seeking the new ways, as we share in this journey of self-discovery with its revelations of global responsibility. Together, we are co-creating this wonderful new adventure, and a future for us all.”

Join Cheryl Esposito & Craig and Patricia Neal to learn the true Art of Convening before you convene your next gathering!