An investigation into the realm of chaordic alchemy

Summary form only given. We believe that it is critical for us all, as the technological leaders at the beginning of a new millennium, to explicitly use our imagination and to regularly reflect on our practice and our thinking. In our paper we attempt to weave an argument that encourages us to do so. What we suggest challenges some fundamental assumptions we likely make every day in our work. We hope to stimulate dialogue around the role that imagination will play in reframing our future. We briefly look back several centuries to find interesting parallels to today, and consider how these insights might help us in the next millennium. We do not attempt to offer answers but hope we raise some intriguing questions. It is our assertion that, if we desire technological innovation in the new millennium we will need to use all our imaginative ability to reframe our workplaces and our thinking from paradigm of fragmentation, competition and reactivity to a more holistic, co-creative worldview. We look through the eyes of the alchemist to help us reframe. We consider that reflective practice is a critical component of effective leadership