Infinite Possibilities Is the New Knowledge Of Leadership

There is much discussion around about the absence of leadership around the world. This discussion is occurring in business, governance circles and in families. Real leadership emerges from values, which are not being seen to be, but lived. The greatest leaders serve rather than being served.

The future will embody true leadership at the personal, community and global levels. For we are indeed all leaders and followers.

I felt inspired to write this poem this morning and sent it to the politicians. Why not, you never know one might hear my voice and give voice to their own.

This poem is dedicated and inspired by Ange Barry the CEO of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation. She is a friend of mine and a person who I always observed thought through issues, was willing to listen to all sides and be fair, was solutions oriented for a win/win, asks questions to learn and is humble in her role as a leader. She gets the job done efficiently and in harmony with others. Particularly noteworthy is her lack of ego and her ability to combine work/life balance and hard work. A true leader and good manager. I had the insights below as I contrasted her style with leaders I had encountered with the opposite qualities. Yet I valued them as they indeed are my teachers and we are all learning what leadership really is.

Enjoy

INFINITE POSSIBILITIES IS THE NEW KNOWLEDGE OF LEADERSHIP

Leadership has many colours,
But they share the one coat,
A technicolour dream coat,
Where dreamers awaken,
As they are visionaries who can see further,
Than self interest.

Some see leadership as leading others into war,
Rather than securing peace treaties,
Myths and legends repeat stories infinitem,
Larger than life,
For he always wins,
At the expense of others,
The ‘other’ remains under covers,
As the real story is the failure to reveal truth,
And learn from our shared humanity.

Others regard leadership as the Bully,
The one that inspires great fear,
Who commands respect,
Rather than earning it,
Who intimidates, out smarts or undermines,
In webs of subterfuge or overt aggression,
Seeking to hurt others as ‘competitors’ rather than heal relationships,
As social development implements understanding intelligently,
For the power struggle becomes the modus operandi of men,
And competition the tussle that many believe catalyses excellence,
Yet fear and threats are the sticks that pacify the calls for justice,
Silence is a Tower of London that isolates from freedom of speech,
Imprisoning dissenters or adversaries as a symbol of oppression,
As opposition is threatening rather than exciting,
A beacon for enlightened change.

Leadership shares power fairly,
For the real warrior upholds virtue without violence,
Enshrined within a Bill of Rights,
Symbolized by the Statue of liberty,
A Statute on life, liberty and happiness
Standing straight in an ocean of infinite possibility,
Indeed a Magna Carta inhibiting all kings,
Reminding the Emperor he has no clothes,
As truth makes corruption visible,
A great Charter of Liberties where the cloth is cut with measure,
Restraining tyrannical rule,
As an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind,
Habeus Corpus curtails kings conducting kangaroo courts,
For unchallenged power corrupts absolutely,
And in the words of Edmund Burke …

“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”

Leadership is not a given,
It is not a position that one wins,
It is a decision tree of great value,
A birthright that sings naturally the one song in harmony,
For not all are destined to lead,
Many follow vested interests,
They follow rules or higher authority,
Procedures and protocol,
For it requires great strength and courage
to get up,
To speak out,
To risk all,
For the highest good of all,
For true leadership was always selfless,
As power and ego limit greatness to greed.

Leaders …hear the call of fairness in integrity,
Leaders …face fear without avoidance
Leaders …embrace critics with illumination,
Leaders …admit mistakes with human dignity,
Leaders …look for unity in the middle ground as power sharing,
Leaders …understand human nature is equal in bounty,
Leaders …endure against all the odds to find what is even.

For Leaders …balance truth over falsehood,
For Leaders …truth is held close to the heart,
And communication is authentic with all,
For this is the highest respect,
For self,
And others,
For we are brothers and sisters.

Leaders are watched silently ‘are they walking the talk?’
To see if this person internalises what is spoken as a lived truth,
Leading from the heart or the head?
Feeling it or being seen to be?
For to follow their example is not an edict but inspired by respect
rather than feared,
As this is always the signpost of a true leader.
A leader leads by example,
He doesn’t reside in the ivory tower of limited thinking,
She manages by walking around open to possibilities,
Meeting with the people as equals and friends,
Encouraging openness, trust and equal access to all,
Rather than tools of trade inherit in productivity paradigms.

A leader understands community,
Taking on the responsibility of governance,
So that all work together cooperatively,
For a higher goal,
For a vision that inspires brilliance,
Where shining is not a tall poppy syndrome to be cut down,
But inspiring expression in developing great skills and talents,
To feel they belong even if they are wrong,
Singing the one song,
Rather than risk adverse and alone,
Fearful of challenging ineffective norms,
For when conflict is met with resistance rather than shared understanding,
This is the sign that leadership is absent,
From the table of self inquiry.

In truth we are all leaders and followers,
For all are gifted,
The greatest leaders liberate the gifts,
And teach by modelling higher examples from weaknesses we all possess,
By educating for values over ambition,
Educating for inquiry over edicts,
Educating for resolution over censure,
Educating for justice over power,
Educating for equality over status,
Educating for greatness rather than mediocrity,
For we are all here to reach for infinite possibilities,
And these are not buzz words,
It is the reality of our true potential.

Infinite possibilities open when…

We create cultures of risk,
Where mistakes are rewarded with illumination,
Ruminations of self reflective learning,
When we acknowledge we could be wrong,
When we are not seeking to be right,
As truth provides future insights,
Advancing new knowledge,
Where we see no limits to what we can become.

We open to infinite possibilities when…

We no longer compete but collaborate as peers,
Integrating higher knowledge rather than protecting intellectual property,
As a right,
For business was never intended in the realm of universities,
There was a separation of powers doctrine,
Preserving intelligencia for intellectual freedoms,
Over property rights serving self interests masquerading as social interest,
Enacting a new Bill of Rights to serve society over business,
Ushering in a re-new-able enlightenment,
Where we are not blinded by interests,
But interested in what blinds us from the higher way.

We open to infinite possibilities when…

There is no longer superiority of tenure,
No matter ones education, position or gender,
Where tears are met with empathy and support
in an open society foundation,
Where social support is the mainstay of a healthy community,
Where language is used to inspire rather than critique,
And silence is for reflection rather than exclusion,
For we encourage greatness when we see it in ourselves,
For all are great in truth,
There are no failures,
Only the failure to reach further than self interest.

For it is together that we must work for our common future,
In a community of infinite diversity,
Where we rise above differences,
Leading ourselves to unity,
Values become the navigators of leadership,
In the home, in work, in communities, worldwide,
As each becomes a steward of global citizenship,
Self governance illuminating roles and responsibilities,
And this is the beginning of the wisdom of the elders,
For we are each others keepers,
We are responsible for our actions,
Intentions formulate outcomes,
And what we do and say matters in whom we become,
For each life sends out ripples that define the shape of the future,
And what we stand for defines the shape of ourselves,
For every person has value no matter their status.

As we step out of education where we are taught what to think,
To discover learning as empowerment living,
Where we think and feel about what we are taught,
An Agora of questions refining who we are,
Exploring infinite possibilities as a new knowledge applied,
Assessing whether we harm or heal?
As this is the yardstick of success in our humanity,
Whether we advance or hold back higher knowledge,
Grow or shutdown personal development,
Cooperate or compete,
For our answer becomes the sacred seal,
The Crest of a new en-lighten-ment that is real,
As the motif represents the university
of your incredible life,
And only you decide if you graduate,
with honour.