Posts Tagged "leadership"
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 MoreBusting Up Bake Sales
This article was originally published at The Political Carnival If someone wants an issue to be front and center in American politics—do something to make Moms mad. The Obama Administration’s latest front in the battle against obesity, is the regulation of snacks and food that are not the requisite breakfast and lunch. First up on the firing line is the beloved bake sale. In an era of dwindling resources for public schools, bake sales are often the lifeblood of parent organizations, interest clubs and students saving for class trips. While obviously not the bastion of health consciousness, they are capable of brining in serious money for cash-strapped...
Read MoreCongress May Not Deserve To Be Hired Again…But You Do!
It is not news that the public’s approval of the job Congress is doing is dismally low. Up slightly from its near single digit low-point the latest Gallup poll has it at a whopping 17 percent. Despite the pathetic performance review, at least 80 percent of those currently serving will be re-elected this November, based on historic averages. Why do we keep re-electing people we don’t believe are doing a good job? Like any employee who is slacking on the job and escapes the pink slip to return another day to collect a paycheck, we can’t blame the workforce for showing-up with a lackluster work ethic for which we keep paying them. (This is not to say that...
Read MoreLeadership Can’t Happen Until YOU Know Who You Are
Would you recognize your authentic self if you saw him or her? How would you know it is the real you? What is an “authentic self” and why in the world does it matter to your ability to lead? One of the greatest weaknesses, and almost without question at the root of all inglorious downfalls of well-known leaders, is the discomfort they have with who they truly are. Each person is born with a beautifully unique set of talents, skills and abilities and in our early childhood we bring them into the world unfettered. Yet early in our childhood we begin receiving messages, primarily from our caregivers, that reflect back what they think and feel about who we are. ...
Read MoreLet’s Move Beyond the Fear-Mongering and Power Struggles Over Immigration
This week immigration moves back into the national spotlight as the Supreme Court considers S.B. 1070, the Arizona law that encourages local law enforcement to seek out illegal immigrants, previously the purview of the federal government. Succinctly put, Peter J. Spiro, a law professor at Temple University, opines in the New York Times that Arizona “is one of several states, including Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Indiana, that, frustrated by Congress’s idling on immigration reform” have passed their own legislation. They have done so with laws which “are misguided at best, mean-spirited and racially tainted at worst,” yet “in the long run, immigrant...
Read MoreIs Work-Life Balance Really a Woman’s Issue? “Most business people want to keep people wanting more money to buy more things…”
When people go to work, they shouldn’t have to leave their hearts at home – Betty Bender The simple eloquence of a few words is often the most powerful way to describe a complex situation. As I reflected on the recent torrent of stories about the “war on women,” this quote came to mind, not because it is the antithesis of conservatives’ views, and increasingly their legislative bills, rather because it goes straight to the heart of what they most fear—a shift away the almighty dollar as the demarcation of accomplishment to a more balanced perspective on what constitutes success. The early 20th Century move to keep women from vibrant contribution outside the...
Read MoreWhat Do Health Care and the Mega Millions Lottery Have in Common?
As a lifelong student of leadership, I enjoy looking at the events that capture national attention and examining what they say about who we are as a society and how we are leading in our lives. It seems nothing is as riveting as the Affordable Care Act’s three-days at the Supreme Court. The debate over healthcare or as some have dubbed it “Obamacare” has galvanized the nation along its well-know red and blue partisan divisions. How is it that the world’s most affluent country, with the most expensive health care system still has a dismal record on health care with tens of millions of people unable to access it? While I completely conquer with the assessment by...
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 MoreOur Fickle Selves
It is always with a hint of mirth that I watch the quadrennial analysis of political pundits who seem befuddled by the electorate’s behavior. This year the attention falls squarely on the Republican primary voters who are shifting their preferences with the rise and fall of the personal predilections of the various presidential candidates (the latest Washington Post-ABC poll has Newt Gingrich on top in Iowa, but it’s still early in the game). And it will be no different when the Democrats and Independents enter the fray in the general election. The phenomenon should come as no surprise given two facts: Most voters are not clear about the leadership qualities...
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