The Power of Collective Wisdom: And the Trap of Collective Folly »

Briskin is a consultant, speaker, and senior editor of the Collective Wisdom Initiative.

Erickson is the founding partner of Turning Point and the principle investigator of the Collective Wisdom Initiative.

Callanan is a Program Officer at the Fetzer Institute.

Ott is the founder of John G. Ott & Associates.

Collective wisdom refers to knowledge and insight gained through group and community interaction. At a deeper level, however, it is about our living connection to each other and the interdependence we share in our neighborhoods, organizations, and world community.

Based on nine years of research, The Power of Collective Wisdom shows how we can reliably tap into the extraordinary cocreative potential that exists whenever human beings gather together. Stories and historical examples illustrate how collective wisdom has emerged in a range of cultures, settings, and traditions, and the authors offer a set of practices to help readers realize the key lessons of the book.

Foreword Peter Senge Senge, Peter

Use of Terms

Introduction Collective and Wisdom Makes the Difference 1

1 What Is Collective Wisdom and How Does It Show Up? 15

2 Preparing for Collective Wisdom to Arise 35

3 Inhabiting a Different Worldview 73

4 What Makes Groups Foolish 107

5 The Tragedy of Polarized Groups 123

6 An Illusion of Agreement 135

7 The Unlimited Cocreative Power of Groups and Communities 147

8 Practices of Mindfulness for Collective Wisdom 173

Final Reflection 195

An Invitation 147

Notes 203

Acknowledgments 209

Index 217

About the Collective Wisdom Initiative 227

About the Fetzer Institute 229

About the Cover Image 231

About the Authors 233