I am 70 years old and I took care of my very ill mother for many years until she died in 2005. I am also responsible for a developmentally disabled nephew, Bill, who will be 50 next year. This continues to be a major responsibility. I learned very early by observing the lives of other developmentally disabled adults that if they do not have a life independent of their parents, they will be lost at age 50 or 60 when their last parent or guardian dies. And this is devastating for them!
Parenting Bill has been the most challenging thing I have ever done, and it continues to be difficult. When I take him back to his independent living facility in Redding, I drive away knowing that he will be sad and lost for a time. But I also know that he has friends, a workshop program, a support system, and a social life that is independent of me. It is in this way that I am parenting Bill as his guardian.
In these examples of the four Featured Players from our Sage Leadership Project, we witness several different ways in which Generativity One continues to be with us—even when we have grown older and moved on to one or more of the other generativity roles. As we will see throughout this set of essays, each of the four generativity roles is always present on the stage even if not in the spotlight. We also find that Generativity One lingers as a dynamic factor with our work in organizations, even if we move during our adult years past the role of Generativity One founder, burden-carrier, problem-solver and strategist. We often continue to lead, despite our best intentions.
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