There are tons of examples today where we can look to our “leadership” and ask WTF, but in that also lies the opportunity to lead and find the silver lining. The great part about this topic is it can be independent of the party line, faith, and gender. This topic will hopefully stop you in your tracks and inspire you to add value where ever possible.
As time passes we are seeing all kinds of National and Global News. We are seeing the armament of a country whose leader is simultaneously crying poor while he and his cabinet are purchasing mansions and sending spouses on elaborate spending sprees. We are denying the globe as a nation of energy exporters while as currently reported are responsible for damaging the Nord Stream Pipeline. Part of our leadership is calling out the Chinese for the lab leak of COVID, yet it was American Dollars at the request of our NIH (National Institute of Health) that funding the testing that most likely led to that leak.
The societal jury still seems to be out on the COVID Vaccines as you can still see average, everyday “Joes” wearing masks all by themselves. Yet we have one Doctor or Scientist speaking out daily about the lack of testing, misinformation by our government, damage of lockdowns, and poor efficacy of the injection. As this information is coming more and more to the forefront, we find in the media that our Nation’s Leadership is doubling down on international travel without a vaccine — meanwhile, the border to the South is open.
More locally, we are continuing to hear the cry of parents with children tied to the school system. Leadership is looking for the power to sexualize, groom, and vaccinate kids without parental consent. Schools are denying requests to expose the curriculum, and parents are furious while the system is slow to take control of the situation.
People are restless. There is a tenseness in the air and the algorithm in Social Media exacerbates the issue and makes it look more frequent than it is. When shoplifting becomes a non-enforcible crime in your area, people will begin to rise and protect what is theirs.
Oh boy… this sounds bleak.
All of this provides opportunity. As I say over and over again... I believe that everyone is naturally called to a certain position of leadership. When we as a people group abstain from that calling, we create a leadership void. The Universe hates gaps. A void or gap needs to be filled. If the natural choice fails to fill the role, an unnatural choice may.
When an unnatural fulfillment of a leadership role occurs, the intention of the role can get lost. Being a congressperson only pays a couple hundred thousand dollars a year… so why can a congressperson become a multimillionaire while still in office for only a few years? The intention of the role is lost. Instead of adding value to people, it becomes a tool to add value to the individual.
If you were to investigate the birth of the 1619 Project and look at how it morphed into the Critical Race Theory (CRT) application it has become, you may find a well-defined misalignment. People that speak out against CRT – regardless of race – are immediately regarded as racists and white supremacists. How can questioning the origin of New York Times essays indicate racism? This is a great opportunity for a natural leader to fill a gap.
Do the due diligence and produce an accurate view of the past as a warning of what not to allow in the future. Recognize that slavery was a global phenomenon. Recognize that all races at one point in time may have participated and that slavery in one region may look completely different in another region. For example, ancient Hebrews may have actually sold themselves into slavery to pay a debt or escape a life situation that was worse. In some cases, those slaves asked at the end of their term to be “adopted” by their master as they knew they had it good. There are some that would say the family that is living in the trailer park, working multiple shifts, and struggling to procure food is also a form of slavery.
Is there a way to educate a populace without trying to convince a major proportion of that populace that they are inherently bad because of the color of their skin? Teaching organized counter racism does not end racism. This sounds like a great place to lead from.
Leadership Opportunities at Easier Levels
The Job. You go there all the time and you see what seems to be lunacy. Sometimes we can write leadership off as simply greedy. Sometimes leadership is just hazy in reality. Sometimes the decision you hear is so off the centerline of logic, you kind of short-circuit. This is not the time to curl up in your shell and hide. This is the time to lead.
Sure, easy for me to say.
Maybe there is a reason I am no longer in the Corporate Arena. I will tell you though, and this is from the heart… having people I worked with stay in touch for literally years, is so rewarding. How should you embrace a sign to lead in the micro-corporate space? My personal advice is gently.
When the boss announces a new crazy initiative with questionable motives – ask questions. There is a way to probe and insert curiosity without portraying insult. When you execute this properly – you are being a 360 Degree Leader. You are not only leading to your level and immediately below, but also upstream.
Your curious question, although maybe not immediately acted upon, will spur thought with the leadership. The result overall is positive either way. If their intention is poor and they are simply acting from greed… you have made it known and exposed it. If their direction is a result of ignorance, you have provided an inroad for them to gain perspective.
Opportunity to lead surrounds us every day
Are you on Social Media? How much of your feed is negative crud? How do you inject positivity into that feed? If you look at my introduction to this piece, you can find answers to these issues in your feed. Right now, there are a bunch of posts saying that there is no real threat in Ohio from the chemical spill train derailment. There are other posts saying this is the worst ecological disaster in years. Looking at where some of the money goes… you can see the origin of some of the arguments.
Leading in this Social Media frenzy may mean ignoring that part of your feed to give the algorithm a rest on the topic. It may mean partnering with socially conscious groups lending aid to the area. It may mean doing a deep dive on the topics each side is propagating so that you aren’t finding yourself in the midst of furthering an untruth.
The overall perception by many right now is that Leadership at scale is jacked up. The only thing that really fixes that is the foundational concept that Leadership is meant to add value to others. So I beg… who can you lead – now? Project big or small… make that impact. Become a person of influence. Lead.
