Episode 71: Beyond Profit & Power: The Children’s Fire and the Future of Leadership with Mac Macartney

Episode 71:
Beyond Profit & Power: The Children’s Fire and the Future of Leadership

Guest: Mac Macartney

Hosted by: Marina Robb

Mac Macartney

In this episode of the Wild Minds Podcast, I’m in conversation with Mac Macartney, a storyteller, leader, and founder of Embercombe, exploring what it means to live and lead in service to life.

In this far-reaching conversation, we explore The Children’s Fire — an ancient principle that no law, decision, or action should harm the young of any species, and how it might transform leadership, education, and our relationship with the natural world.

We talk about education rooted in the simple yet radical commitment that no child should leave school without feeling good about who they are, and the power of play as an antidote to a culture that leaves so many children, and adults, masking their pain and feeling worthless beneath the surface.

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In this episode...

Topics include:

Exploring The Children’s Fire — the ancient principle that no decision should harm the young of any species.
Reimagining education so no child leaves school without feeling good about themselves.
Unpacking the hubris of superiority — how our systems consistently enforce it.
The power of play and nature connection as antidotes to hopelessness and masking how we truly feel.
Insights from Mac’s leadership company on redefining the purpose of business — beyond profit and growth — and valuing well-rounded human beings.
Reflections on indigenous wisdom, community ownership, and leadership rooted in service rather than self-interest.
A call to rethink wealth, power, and responsibility so that resources and decisions serve the many, not the few.
An invitation to imagine a more joyful, courageous, and humane society.

Music by Geoff Robb: www.geoffrobb.com

Links and Resources

Mac Macartney’s Website: https://macmacartney.com/

Mac's books: https://macmacartney.com/writer/

Finding Earth, Finding Soul: The invisible path to authentic leadership
The Children’s Fire: Heart Song of a People

Embercombe: Change your World: https://www.embercombe.org

The Children’s Fire by Mac Macartney: https://macmacartney.com/the-childrens-fire-blog/

Kahil Gilbran:
“Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you. And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.”

Oren Lyons (Faith Keeper of the Onondaga Nation) Interview with Bill Moyers (1991) https://ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/OL070391.html?