Leadership – humane, strong, forthright leadership – has always been important. It’s how companies succeed, communities grow, and families thrive.
We’ve generally looked at leadership as something done at the head of a group – a team, a department, a company, a community. But there’s a lot more to leadership than that – and a lot of leadership happens quietly.
In the end, leadership is about individual choice – the choice to take action or not, the choice to speak up, or stay silent. This is true within organizations, within communities, online, in person – everywhere.
We need people who aren’t willing to be quiet in the face of trouble and injustice, whether or not they have an official title or role.
This is the leadership exemplified by Bishop Mariann Budde, who spoke eloquently and directly about the need for mercy at the January 21st inaugural prayer service. (The clip is on YouTube here.)
Obviously, the Bishop has both the role and the title. It still took an act of courage and leadership for her to speak out, to speak directly to the President in this way.
We need that kind of leadership now more than ever. And we need it from everyone, not only those who have that kind of authority and standing.
This is exactly what I wanted to start writing about when I shifted this year from a tight focus on change leadership to a broader view on the intersection of leadership with life and with who we are as individuals. Did I expect it would become so instantly relevant? No. But here we are, and here we are with a lot of people wondering what they can do in the face of chaos, disruption, and wild uncertainty.
We can’t all take a stage and make a public plea. We don’t all have the resources to make donations to the ACLU and other activist organizations. We can’t all take time from our work to attend protests – and many don’t have the physical capacity to do so even if they could take the time.
We must remember that leadership isn’t only about the big actions. Leadership isn’t always about making an obviously visible dent in what’s happening.
But leadership creates ripples. Being clear about your values within your community – even when people disagree – it takes courage, and it creates ripples. A conversation within a LinkedIn comment thread on someone’s post can draw people’s attention to things they might not otherwise have known about – more ripples. A post on Facebook explaining why you’re saddened, concerned, angry about the things that are happening may draw trolls – but may also help someone become more aware than they were before. Still more ripples.
Calling even the most-Republican of senators and representatives puts them on notice – their aides track all calls, and the more they get, the better. (I’ve had to poke myself awake on this one; I hate making phone calls, and I’ve tried to convince myself that “it won’t make a difference,” but it could, and not calling makes a difference in the wrong direction.)
This is all leadership. And leadership creates ripples.
The chaos and the obstacles are overwhelming. But, as my latest favorite quote points out, “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you permitted to desist from it.” (Pirkei Avot, from Ethics of the Fathers)
Want to make calls? It’s the easiest way to get involved – and be a leader. The app 5Calls is recommended by many, including me (!). It provides a list of issues of concern; it includes phone numbers for your congresspeople (based on your locaion), and scripts to use when calling. I’ve downloaded and used the app. It’s easy and, even for those who hate making phone calls (pick me!), relatively painless.