I recently re-read one of George Leonard‘s classic works, Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment (1991), and then decided to check out once again the biographical material that I had first examined years ago. For example, here is an excerpt from a tribute on him by the Esalen Institute.
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George’s fertile legacy will live on in his beautiful family, his contributions to public journalism and social change, his 12 books which continue to spark programs and trainings today, his founding role and research (with Michael Murphy) in the programs of Integral Transformative Practice, which have changed thousands of lives over the years—and in the transformational work and mission of the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California and around the world, which he labored so long and creatively to nurture and to inspire.
Here at Esalen, we will miss George’s sparking, challenging presence, his amazing physical discipline, his endlessly energetic spirit, his inspiring example of the active creative life into his ninth decade, and his constant reminders that, as he liked to put it, “every idea, every intention, every new thought is a new generative form in the universe,” and that as human creators, we are tapping and manifesting only a small part of an unlimited potential for imagination, transformation, and social progress.
The following biographical sketch will give you a few highlights of his exemplary creative life and spirit.
George Leonard co-founded Integral Transformative Practice (ITP) with Michael Murphy. He was the author of numerous books on human possibilities and social change, including Education and Ecstasy, The Transformation, The Ultimate Athlete, The Silent Pulse, The End of Sex, Mastery, andThe Way of Aikido. The 1995 book, The Life We Are Given, co-authored with Murphy, reports on a two-year experimental class in ITP created by the authors for realizing the potential of body, mind, heart, and soul. ITP Groups are now practicing not only throughout the U.S., but in other countries as well.
From 1953 to 1970, Leonard served as a senior editor for Look magazine. He produced numerous essays and special issues on education, science, politics, the arts, the Civil Rights Movement, and foreign affairs. A collection of his Look essays was published in 1970 as The Man & Woman Thing and Other Provocations. His articles on education won eleven national awards. Articles by George Leonard also appeared in such magazines as Esquire, Harper’s, Atlantic, New York, Saturday Review, and The Nation.
Leonard held a 5th degree black belt in the martial art of Aikido, and was the co-founder of an Aikido school in Mill Valley, California. He was also the founder of Leonard Energy Training (LET), a practice inspired by Aikido, which offers alternative ways of dealing with everyday life situations. Leonard introduced LET to more than 50,000 people in the U.S. and abroad.
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Here is a direct link to the complete tribute.
To learn more about George Leonard and his work, please click here.