Posts Tagged "change"
The Politics of Capitulation
This article was originally published at AlterNet Capitulate: to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms; to give up resistance. When it comes to surrender, just the thought of it is chilling to a political leader on the campaign trail. Campaigns are the closest thing to war most operatives and candidates will ever experience and for the majority, they approach it with the same gusto as if their lives were on-the-line—which is essentially true in their world, as success portends a future in the limelight and failure means ending up with a briefcase full of unrealized dreams and little else. So capitulating on any issue is fraught...
Read MoreThe Power of Fear
The current state of affairs in Egypt has become emblematic of what the Arab Spring now faces—the escalation of fear of everyone involved. With the rise in anxiety come actions, reactions and skirmishes that have the potential to derail the budding democratic aspirations of millions of citizens in the Middle East. For those clinging to the last vestiges of authoritarian power, fear is their greatest weapon and for those who long to create peaceful, prosperous and free societies it is their greatest hurdle—can they move beyond the paper tigers and realize the potential they have to change the course of their nation
Read MoreWanted: Political Leaders Intent on Solutions, Not Adulation
This week President Obama laid out his vision for America and his rationale as to why he should be re-elected. In a nearly hour-long speech, he sought to firmly establish himself as the defender of the middle class. While the ideals underpinning his rhetoric are laudable, the approach of demonizing various segments of society is not the way to creating solutions we so desperately need. One need not get into the details put forth in the President’s speech, or those of his potential Republican opponents, to know that by staking a position as a “defender” of one group, you automatically put those on the “other” side into an adversarial position. Do we really need...
Read MoreGoing Postal – The Economic Impact of Resisting Change
Even when the inevitable stares us in the face, our natural inclination is to want things to stay the same. It is safe. We understand the rules and in the routine we find security. Nothing conjures up a sense of stability, reliability, and community more than the US Postal Service. And nothing is more in need of change than our mail delivery system. For generations, we have forged part of our national identity around the idea that our country built and sustained a system that allowed paper communication to flow to anyone from anywhere. In many respects, it is a miraculous system that allows a person to write a letter, scribble an address in their own hand, affix a stamp,...
Read MoreOf Course He Has Ideas – But Are They Good Ones?
Every time Newt Gingrich gets another 15 minutes of fame on the national political stage, the conversation inevitably turns to his keen mind and treasure trove of ideas. As a student of leadership styles and a advocate of the benefits these insights they provide, it is no mystery that Newt is doing what is completely natural to him – developing solutions to systemic problems that have never before been tried. Strategic thinkers, like Newt, are found in less than seven percent of our population and are almost non-existent as contemporary political leaders. Why? Because this type of person has an insatiable desire to change, reform, fix, and generally “make-better”...
Read MoreFooling Ourselves and Paying a High Price
While the saga around the Penn State sexual abuse scandal will, and should, continue as people come to terms with the horrifying series of events that transpired, I find myself looking for any good that can come from this disturbing series of (in)actions of those in positions of authority. What happened in Happy Valley is unfortunately a microcosm of the great myth we continue to live in our country—that is, that people in positions of power will do the “right” thing even if “we the people” won’t do the same. For far too long, the American public has wanted to believe that the choices they make in their daily lives have no impact on how our leaders conduct...
Read MoreAre You a 21st Century Leader?
The Occupy movement is raising questions about leaders in business and politics. Motivated by corporate excess and government blundering of our nation’s economic system “occupiers” are expressing frustration and anger by taking to the streets. With a fuzzy message fueled by personal economic challenges and years of feeling powerless against “the big guys,” the unfortunate reality is that what these protestors are for or against is impossible to achieve. There’s only one way things will change. And looking to “leaders” to fix the problem is not the answer. The challenge in the numerous crises facing our country today is that most people can...
Read MoreRecession-Proof Your Job Through the Leadership Choice
By: Kathleen Schafer, Founder of Leadership Connection MYTH: My job security is determined by other people deciding my value; after all, someone else will decide to hire, pay and promote me. If you place your economic survival in others’ hands you will forever be in a position of weakness and vulnerability—leaving you feeling afraid. While you may not go to work everyday feeling the need to hide under your desk, a general sense of fear or unease will keep you from fully expressing yourself and hold you back from working with vigor because you never know how others will respond. By living this myth, you have entered a vicious cycle that keeps you from being your best...
Read MoreUnderstanding the Lesson No One Wants to Learn
By: Kathleen Schafer, Founder of Leadership Connection The 2010 midterm election will eventually become like many others in our nation’s history, relegated to a data point in the ebb and flow of political cycles—that is, unless our country has hit a point where it is no longer willing to tolerate radical extremism in disguise as leadership and mudslinging as a substitute for real-world solutions. What has become the greatest travesty of the early 21st Century is our collective failure to understand that the solutions to our problems do not come from either end of the spectrum, rather they come from a conscious desire to integrate the best that both sides have to...
Read MoreTen Ways of (Re)Defining Leadership
by: Kathleen Schafer, Founder of Leadership Connection The first question most people ask when they meet someone new is “What do you do?” I sometimes have difficulty answering this basic question. While I am clear about my work, the language I use to describe it doesn’t always communicate its true nature. In large part when we think of leadership, most people still hold images of men wearing pin-striped suits, authoritarian behavior and/or the rare individual who manages to move beyond talk to truly create an impact on the world. In practicing the art and science of leadership development for the past 20 years, I suggest the way to create leaders who...
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