I’m not going to throw you any softballs. We did enough of that in last night’s #TChat.
Instead, I’m going to throw the next pitch really fast – the money ball – straight down the middle. C’mon, let’s see you swing. I want to see you knock it out of the park.
Because for the most part, we’re not knocking it out. My hope has always been that future leadership leads us out of our corrupt economic quagmire and into new world of ethical capitalism.
I’m also still hopeful about my fellow brothers and sisters today, even when time and again our mindful presence fails us. Like in today’s business and politics.
What about personal leadership today? What about us?
Polarized incivility and corruption are celebrated by the fringe and given the mainstream spotlight – for business, politics and pleasure.
But the radical center in many of us worldwide is rising up. We’re demanding better leadership; we’re learning to lead ourselves out of this quagmire.
No business school or political party or leadership program or religious movement has done that to date.
This, from a recent The Economist article, The new middle classes rise up:
This focus on corruption suggests that, at the moment, middle-class activism is a protest movement rather than a political force in the broader sense. It is an attempt to reform the government, not replace it. But that could change. In most middle-income countries, corruption is more than just a matter of criminality; it is also the product of an old way of doing politics, one that is unaccountable, untransparent and undemocratic.
Great leaders don’t give in to destructive impulses. They may dabble in the dark arts, but we forgive when it’s for the greater good. We are human. We are fallible.
We are leaders, each unto ourselves
But we have to be personally responsible, to own our every decision and its ensuing consequence. All leadership sparks start with self, the true fiery heart of inspired innovation.
Fanning the flames won’t mean that everyone catches fire, and I don’t disparage tough business leadership and those who succeed while others struggle to feed their families with no job prospects in sight.
I do empathize, though. Empathy is a leadership quality still too often bullied and laughed at. But it’s experience by failure and emotional intelligence that fights back with the insidious subtlety of a dry-witted comic.
Who’s laughing with you, not at you.
Today, the demand for great leadership exceeds the supply. The good news? Most of us are willing to transform the economic status quo.
Read Matt Charney’s precap here and here were the questions from last night:
- Q1: What role do leaders play in driving innovation? Collaboration?
- Q2: What makes someone a “leader?” Is this a matter of role/responsibility or perception?
- Q3: Which matters most for leaders: education, experience or emotional intelligence?
- Q4: What can organizations do better to hire and develop future leaders?
- Q5: What role does social media and technology play in determining leadership efficacy?
- Q6: How is leadership evolving, if at all? What does the future of leadership look like in 5 years? 10?
The #TChat Twitter chat and #TChat Radio are created and hosted by @MeghanMBiro @KevinWGrossman and powered by our friends and partners @TalentCulture @Monster_WORKS @MonsterCareers @HRmarketer and of course @Focus.
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