
Episode #504
What Happens When You Stop Looking With One Eye Closed
Series: The Other Eye Episode: What Happens When You Stop Looking With One Eye Closed We have more data, more frameworks and more leadership development than at any point in history. The problems keep getting bigger. What if the issue isn't what we know, but the lens we're looking through? Ryan James Kemp grew up in Boston, earned a finance degree, and then spent the next 14 years in 65 countries learning from Indigenous elders, wisdom keepers, permaculturists and business leaders on six continents. In this series opener, he takes us to his first job out of university: a village in Cameroon, trying to find out why half the food in the country's breadbasket was going to waste. He went to teach sustainability to farmers. He had never planted a seed. From there, Ryan separates colonialism, the event, from coloniality, the patterns of seeing and deciding it left behind that still run today. And he introduces the indigenous concept of Two-Eyed Seeing. One eye holds measurement, data, models and prediction. The other holds relationship, place, story and reciprocity. Open both, and something new shows up. You can find Ryan here , here and here . Three things you'll take away: Why Ryan draws a line between intellect and intelligence, and what a village in Cameroon taught him about the difference How coloniality works: the past isn't finished, and old patterns keep shaping business decisions long after the event What happens when you open both eyes, and the third thing, depth perception, that neither eye gives you alone The 5Cs Podcast connects forward-thinking executives who are building sustainable competitive advantages while driving positive impact. Think of it as an exclusive network of leaders who understand that stewardship isn't just good ethics - it's good business. Becausing addressing business stewardship climate risk and leadership together is in the highest good for all. Connect with Charlene Norman on LinkedIn , find her at her website , subscribe to our Substack for strategic insights, or download the full series on Spotify and Apple .






