Each of us seeks meaning, identity and structure in our lives. With that task comes the pursuit of authenticity in who we really are, as we strive to overcome the labels, aspirations, or projections that others may have for us.

You have been identified by friends and colleagues as one of our community’s 50 top senior sage leaders.

You have been identified by friends and colleagues as one of our community’s 50 top emerging sage leaders.

Those experiences that provide seniors with most meaning and satisfaction are organizational achievement and success, assisting others, helping to improve the community, teamwork, and personal and professional growth. In addition, some senior sages identify giving recognition to others as being highly meaningful.

The sources of meaning and satisfaction for emerging sages include achieving organizational success, aiding others, helping the community to improve, the intense feelings that can arise from collaboration and consensus-building, and personal and professional growth.

Senior sages experience most of the same obstacles as emerging sage leaders: financial challenges, communications, internal stress and conflict, personal issues, and problems that arise over differences between nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Unlike emerging sage leaders, seniors also identify the absence of effective leadership as a major challenge.

We found that six barriers were often present when our emerging sage leaders reflected during their interview on their experiences of civic engagement.

In this issue we specifically explore the obstacles that face sage leaders in their civic engagement and the ways they find meaning and satisfaction in this engagement—despite the obstacles. We also offer two more interviews.

Sector: Not for Profit Assignment: Establishment of Core Values & Core Purpose to Develop More Meaningful Communication to existing & potential stakeholders Period: 2007 Background A small niche Charity, based in Scotland, with influence across Europe in developing Social Responsibility through Public Sector Partnerships, required assistance & guidance on how to develop an understanding of its core values & core …