Earlier this month, The Huffington Post published an article titled “Low Trust-High Demand” about ethical leadership, which was written by Georg Kell, the founder of the United Nations Global Compact and Vice Chairman of Arabesque Partners. This disturbing headline was based on an annual Edelman Trust Barometer survey. Most troubling in that data was the finding that the upper income educated demographic is experiencing growing trust in governments,business, and media ,while the broader segments of society are becoming “distrusters”. Today’s political theatre could be a striking example of raging distrust spewing forth from certain segments of the American populace.
Just a few weeks ago, The Washington Post columnist, Richard Cohen, wrote that the world wide immigration crisis is the result of a lack of leadership. He says that we need more leaders who know how to say “Hold on a minute. Let’s work this out “.
Recently Government Executive magazine writer Katherine McIntire Peters wrote an article titled “Poor Leadership Not Technology Derailed the Obama care Rollout”.
Over two years ago, I developed a blog appropriately called ” The High Price of Cheap Leadership “. It includes a similar conclusion about the Obamacare website project. In addition, it provided commentary about our confidence in our leaders, which is increasingly misplaced.
Why do we face this unraveling of sound ethical leadership ? First I believe that leaders today are unprepared for the sharp changes in our social, cultural, religious, political , and commercial marketplaces. Moreover we have undergone a shift in our core values ,lifestyles and our access to an explosion of information. Just as obvious are the rising levels of all forms of diversity sweeping through our country and not surprisingly our society and its structures.
These game changing trends have moved the leadership ground like quick sand under the feet of our industrial age 20th century leaders. As a result we face an epidemic of CHEAP LEADERSHIP. At the same time you can be a part of t forming a new effective leadership doctrine. Since you have taken the time to read this article you do have a stake in becoming or following high-value leadership. Your business, church ministry, community organization, political campaign even your own mentees are calling on you to lead effectively. Who will if you do not– and you know how to ?
Looking back on 30 plus years as an effective and productive leader I have some proven principles and sound practices that address the outcry for high value leadership.
Please visit my blog at http://www.thehighpriceofcheapleadership.com or contact me at arnoldjackson@verizon.net,301 466 8852.
Enough of the high price we pay for CHEAP LEADERSHIP>
AJ