My recent articles have focused on what CEOs and the leaders of the world are not getting or doing right.  I was called out on the fact that given the present state of (my) unemployment and the malaise that has resulted from market losses, financial instability and government debt, my tone and perspective has been less than inspiring.  I say, The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it. ~Warren Bennis

With that said, I did ponder what it is that has me on the “let’s call them out” soapbox?  I have been focusing on what has been lacking in those in powerful positions, both in the private as well as public sector.  I arrived at the conclusion that I am questioning what leadership is, and what makes a good, effective, productive leader (possibly a contradiction in terms). 

Everyone wants to get enlightened but nobody wants to change.  Yet it is change we are calling for.  I go back to the recent reality show, Undercover Boss.  Why does this show work today?  I believe it is because leadership needs to apply its focus on the greater good or its corporate social responsibility, rather than on a self-focus perspective.  It is about accountability to its employees, not just investors and shareholders.  It is about living the mission statement and not just the bottom line.  The show appears to be identifying such issues and we’re captivated by the alleged outcomes and results.

Such musings were further supported when I read the Inc.com article “The New Rules of Leadership”, describing how CEOs are taking some new and healthy risks, (#s 9-12 really caught my attention!)  It is time to travel and take the path of what we do not know and move away from the status quo, which is no longer servicing us. 

Gil Pizano penned an insightful article “Why Would Someone Want to be a Leader?” .  Talk about a loaded question!  Yet, the piece that has gotten the most responses on LinkedIn is “What Did You Learn From Your Worst Boss?”.   Both queries seem to imply that leadership isn’t all it is cracked up to be.  Some would say that some leaders are motivated by self-preservation, while others by radical change.  Neither is good or bad.  So how do we get to a state of employment nirvana?

An excerpt taken from a LinkedIn discussion on “Why Generation X Has the Leaders We Need Now” by Tamara J. Erickson, may provide the response.  She looks to the future rather than the past, and the possibilities of such positive change.  She describes the corporate template to be:  “[C]reate organizations that are more conducive to your values. As leaders, you will be able to reshape the organizations you lead to make them better places for future generations and yourselves, make them more humane, and break the cultural norms of corporate life — long hours, a focus on full-time work, heterogeneous perspectives, and language of combat. Most importantly, your preference for “alternative” and your inclination to innovate will allow you to look for a different way forward.”

She more eloquently states what I have been stammering about.  I have not lost hope. I do believe in vision and inspiration. I have faith that our morals and work ethics, which have been misguided and misplaced, can be reinstated and maintained.  I acknowledge those guides and mentors, who built, managed, grew companies and organizations in which one could take pride in being a member of.  Their lessons included, as Tamara’s lists:

• meet your commitments and take employability seriously 
• maintain a well-nurtured portfolio of options and networks
• operate comfortably in a global and digital world, and adopt collaborative technology that promises to re-shape how we work and live
• welcome the contributions of diverse individuals
• redefine issues and question reality
• raise important questions about the way we all balance work with commitments beyond the corporation
• serve as effective stewards of both today’s organizations and tomorrow’s world

Most importantly, never forget that in today’s challenging world, (in my humble opinion) your humor may be your most-valued asset.  To those who view me as a sourpuss, remember, I’m the girl who sees the glass half-full, so long as things are going my way! 

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.~ John Quincy Adams