They work futilely to avoid pain, gain control, and find security not understanding that much of leadership today is counter to their mental models. As the new economy sorts out the winners and the losers, their sense of foreboding only increases. Much of their anxiety comes from their refusal to see the world as it is and themselves as they are. Instead of dampening the energy that surrounds them, wise leaders understand its dynamics, embrace its power, bring forth its potential, and develop the artistic capabilities needed to lead within unpredictable order. Dare to know could well be the motto for enlightened leadership as the 21st century approaches.
Many frustrated leaders are mechanics who try to lead living organizations as they fix machines.
The leadership toolkit of the mechanic is wrong for today's leadership context. Many in positions of power are the wrong people to lead in the times in which we live. Those who act without insight must be told of the impact they have on the spirits of others and on the sustainability of the enterprises they struggle to lead. It is our responsibility to tell them. If we do not, our indifference colludes with their mindlessness, and we are all responsible for our fate.