The State of Leadership
I had the good fortune of taking an extended holiday break to reset as I experienced a major life transition (i.e. I got married!)
As I returned from my hiatus and reflected on the state of leadership in the U.S., it occurred to me that this concept of leadership is little understood. I’ve read some great books on leadership. As a woman of faith, the bible to me has been the most prolific—and the lives of Jesus, Nehemiah, Daniel, Joseph, Esther, Eleazar, Stephen, and the daughters of Zelophehad are great exemplars of what leadership is. The daughters of Zelophehad: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah (my personal sheroes!) had the audacity to approach Israelite leaders and ask for their father’s inheritance, because their father had no sons—at a time when only sons received an inheritance—thereby changing the historical trajectory for women.
I’ve also read many other extraordinary works, including, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, “Hand me Another Brick” by Charles Swindoll, “Doing Business by the Good Book” by David L. Steward, and “The Dream Giver” by Bruce Wilkinson, to name a few.
Many of these leadership stories are about:
self-sacrifice
leading with love
having spiritual perception
being a servant first
doing something no one else has done
achieving the goal by any means necessary
I’ve been asking myself: Where is leadership today? The marks of leadership that many once embraced seem to be in short supply today. In large part due to the many impediments that threaten our capacity to lead. We are a world that is incredibly divided and divisive. People are expected to pick a side and stay on their side and dismiss anyone who disagrees. We are saturated with confusing and confounding messages—everywhere. This has now seeped into our DNA.
What do we do about this as leaders?
The people we lead need consistency. They need connection. They need authenticity. They deserve it given they have entrusted us with their potential.
The traits of good leaders carry this DNA. They are true to their convictions. They make it a point to foster community—even if it pains them to get outside of their own comfortable bubble. And they are consistent in their message—in spite of the shifting nature of what is culturally acceptable.
One of my personal life goals for 2023 and beyond is to embody these traits of Consistency, Connection, and Authenticity. Especially in the work of The Almond Group.
Our consistent message is we are in business for the following reasons:
To help you uncover your blindspots in leadership
To help you build racially diverse teams, where your staff of color truly feel included, respected, and valued, and
To help you lead with courage and authenticity
We build connection through community. We hope you’ll join us for one of our upcoming Community Conversations in Washington, DC.
Finally, we will remain authentic to our vision which is: we envision private and public sectors that fully embody the diversity of America, value servant leadership, respect difference, and incorporate policies and practices aligned with these ideals.
In the coming weeks as you engage more with us and our content, do hold us accountable.
