ABOUT THE BOOK
Circles of Collaboration
Christine Merser & Leslie Grossman
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What if the opposite of leader was collaborator?
For centuries, women have gathered in circles, where every voice matters, decisions are shared, and progress is made together. Circles of Collaboration explores this time-tested method, tracing its history and revealing how you can harness its power to achieve your goals faster and with a stronger, more supportive network. Circles of Collaboration gives you the blueprint—practical tools, real-world examples, and the inspiration you need to build your own collaborative circle to achieve your goals.
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Want more from
Circles of Collaboration?
Inner Circles Don't
Happen Overnight
Article by Christine Merser
For the past month or two, I have felt a recalibration happening.
Not emotional. Structural.
I have begun to see how quickly I move people to my inner circle.
Silly me.
For most of my career, I have not water skied across relationships. I have deep sea dived. When someone interesting crossed my path, I wanted the alcoves. The crevices. The contradictions. The backstory. I wanted to understand the wiring. What drives them. What they fear. What they are capable of building. I went down fast. I assumed depth. I projected forward.
And too often I surface and realize there was no shared history strong enough to support the depth I had assigned. And, the time it wastes, to say nothing of the disappointment.
Either I build a future around potential that had never been tested. Or I assume alignment before it is proven. Or I grant inner-circle access based on resonance rather than personal experience.
This recalibration is not about becoming guarded. It is about becoming paced. It is about becoming discerning. It is recognizing that experiences have to happen before true intimate collaboration can exist. That cannot happen without time.
Circles of Collaboration are not just about gathering smart people. They are about architecture.
Ecocentrism and Collaboration with
Dr. Ina Gjikondi
with Dr. Ina Gjikondi
Our guest, Dr. Ina Gjikondi, brings ecocentrism into the workplace, showing how nature itself can enhance performance in business and help us reach our goals and vision. Ecocentrism, as she defines it, is the understanding that nature holds agency and that all beings and elements, human and non-human, exist together in a delicate balance. In other words, we are collaborators with the earth itself.
That shift changes everything. Instead of treating nature as a backdrop, we can recognize it as an active partner with wisdom to offer. Yes, that walk in the forest, or even hugging a tree, just might give you the answer to the issue you have been struggling with. Who knew that your circle of collaborators might reach past people to include the natural world?
Hosted by Christine Merser, co-author of Circles of Collaboration, this conversation with Dr. Gjikondi highlights groundbreaking research in ecocentrism that is creating inroads into how we work, connect, and solve problems. Dr. Gjikondi is Director of Learning Innovation & Strategic Growth at the Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (CEPL) at George Washington University and founder of the One Humanity Lab.