Posts Tagged "politics"
How We Live Reflects Who We Are
While my younger and immensely more social media savvy colleague beseeches me to weigh in on trending topics and news stories as soon as possible, I sometimes like to wait a day or two, not only to ruminate on the points made, but also to see how others respond to the information. Not surprisingly, I often find that my conclusions are not how others reacted to the same information. The most recent example of this was Cook political reporter David Wasserman’s piece in the Washington Post, Will the Election of 2012 be a Contest of Whole Foods vs. Cracker Barrel Shoppers? In the article, he correlates voting patterns to locations of two of the country’s most profitable...
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...
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 MoreThe Lost Voices of Education Reform
In the perpetual battle to reform America’s defunct education system, it is interesting to see how “new” interests are entering the fray bringing with them millions of dollars and an insatiable taste for political paralysis. The Huffington Post article, “America’s Education Reform Lobby Makes it Presence Known at the Voting Booth,” details how Washington insiders, like former DC Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, are raising money to engage in local politics. While despising established groups like the National Education Association, they are essentially engaging in the same behavior, albeit, to a different end. I believe Einstein had a word for doing...
Read MoreNeed a Job? Three Steps to Take Now
The fact that millions of Americans are unemployed or underemployed is not news. Although we seem to be engaged in Einstein’s infamous trap of ‘doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.’ Policy makers are debating how to entice businesses into hiring more people and the unemployed are angry and frustrated over the lack of available positions. Nearing record-breaking unemployment rates, perhaps it is time to consider a different route to finding meaningful, satisfying, and rewarding work in people’s lives. As we’ve discussed here before, creating jobs won’t help our economy. If you are looking for a job, or know someone who...
Read MoreHow Do We Get Out of This Mess?
Share By: Kathleen Schafer, Founding Principal-Leadership Connection The only thing people can agree on while discussing politics is that our political system is not working. It’s too big for some, too small for others, not responsive, and ill-managed. Everyone can identify what’s not working and we’re not too optimistic about things changing substantively anytime soon. Our challenge is that everyone sees the problems, everyone claims to want things to change; however, too few of us are actually willing to do the work to create the change we want. Many Americans point to the Tea Party as a hopeful sign of change. While Tea Party activists have captured the...
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