Random Thourghts

Today a few random thoughts.

I fell yesterday. After sitting for two hours in a meeting, I left the building and the next thing I realized was falling; out the door of the building; was in the process of holding the door open for a couple of people following me out; next thing I knew for sure I was on the outdoor pavement. The downward motion was quick but seemed in slow motion. Fell flat on my back and the back of my head hit the pavement softly. Two people helped me to my feet. I felt sheepish and vulnerable.

Rest of the day I kept checking for symptoms of any damage. None except for stiffened muscles in wrists, hands and neck. Must have clenched during the fall in an attempt to regain control while falling. Realized I missed the bottom step of the doorway, thus lost footing, then balance, then boom.

At my age this can be an issue. Glad it wasn’t. But it still makes you wonder, and wonder.

Our bi-weekly community newspaper went to press today; will hit the street tomorrow. Am pleased at the central focus of community work and volunteerism covered in this issue. This was not the intention. It just is because of events. Last week the chamber of commerce recognized significant volunteer action by 15 people. Held a banquet with all the trimmings. A great event. Will become annual award recognition venue I think. Good to pat good people on the back for work no one else thinks important at the time; but it is; vital, in fact, to keep a community effective, and to provide quality of life opportunities. Some awardees active in significant ways for 50 years. Others for 30 or 40 years. Amazing.

Then we participated in a long-range planning input meeting for our local library. 28 volunteers present. Led by professional facilitators. Meeting came alive and richly offered ideas the library can use and adopt. Excitement in the room as ideas not only flowed but connected and expanded on offered themes. Productive and creative. Some people, yes even the oldest ones there, offered ideas of clarity and probity leaping into the far future! Challenged us to think outside the box. Wow! You want this stuff to happen, but seeing it in action from all sorts of people from different backgrounds was truly exciting. We all left the 3 hour session ‘floating on air’. Two days later people were still talking about the experience so I wasn’t the only one appreciating the process.

The two previous items are related. Volunteerism. But more. Leadership. That leads to another topic. The condition of leadership in America today.

First off, where is it? Normally we saw it in action on the national stage; in congress; on the TV talk shows like Face the Nation, Meet the Press, and such like programs. We also observed leadership in news articles concerning foreign affairs, crisis interventions regarding serious national calamities (forest fires, tornadoes, blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.). Now we see incivility among politicians. People attempting to be newsmakers. We also see rude public behavior meant to be disrespectful of public officials. One can understand this.

But it is not a good thing. The public office should be respected. Maybe not the office holder, but the office needs to be honored. The office really is our own, the public’s. These are the functions we need to have performed under our authority. If the office holder isn’t doing the job, then replace the person. The office, though, needs to be upheld. Hold the person accountable, and find someone who can do the job. That’s our job to do, the voter. Not doing that job well makes for lousy performers in office.

Leadership. What is it? Perhaps some definitive elements would include:

• Knowledgeable of the area of expertise
• Forward thinking; 5 or 10 years in the future
• Not just focused on the present; manages the present, but looks for clues of the future
• Educates staff on delineations of present and future; tension of becoming
• Educates public on these same issues helping them to understand the journey from the present to the future and why it is important
• Constantly looking for ways to serve human needs now and in the future
• Continues to think on avoiding problems,  eliminating them

Do you see many of these leadership qualities today? If so, where?

We need leadership in government to be sure, but also in our companies, employers, institutions; schools; also in local settings and regional. Not just national venues.

It is interesting that we have a lot of these elements at work in the local communities. We often don’t see them or know about them. But they are there. Mostly unsung. But the good work is being done on the local scene, closest to where we live.

It’s the other stages where leadership appears to be missing the most. Our states and nation.

What a shame! What do we do to encourage people to become leaders? Are we also required to do something to be good followers? Interesting question. Wonder what the answer is.

November 17, 2011