Leadership is light.
Where are the role models? They’re certainly not in charge of our political parties in the UK.
The “leaders” of both main parties are on the wrong side of the largest environmental and humanitarian crises today.
The opportunity to be brave, to paint a future for generations, to secure a solid foundation for others to build on, to think beyond the think tank…
This is an opportunity that presents itself to both Sunak and Starmer. And both are failing us, and more importantly, our children.
We are tumbling over many inflection points for climate. The opportunity to confront commercial interests that destroy those of our natural home, to paint a future that gives our grandchildren the nature that we inherited from our grandparents, to role model beauty over greed – it sits urgently in front of those either in power today, or waiting to grasp it.
But the draw of power is greater than that to shine a light. Both leaders are either ignoring or backtracking on tangible work that would move us all towards a healthier planet. Live and direct.
And we are facing what Mandela called “the greatest moral issue in the world” – Palestine. In the face of what most NGOs, charities, humanitarian organisations, and now the highest court in the world are either calling genocide, or cautiously calling “plausibly” genocide, both leaders are hell bent not only on letting the slaughter continue, but even more dangerously, demonstrating that law is not a foundation for justice, but a tool for discrimination.
And that “leadership” will make the world a more dangerous and volatile place. It makes a mockery of so-called democratic values of social justice.
The time to demonstrate leadership, to shine that light, is most needed when your back is against the wall. Many women and men have turned into legends of light when they were faced with impossible odds. The world waits for you in those moments.
It’s a hard fight, but because it’s the right fight, it is infinitely more rewarding. And galvanising people behind you to create that impact is what world-changing events are made of.
One looks to cling to power by cowering to immediate self-interest of a broken capitalist model. The other looks to grab power simply because of the unpopularity of the incumbent.
What a wasted opportunity for vision.
We can’t look to our political “leaders” for that light. We need to switch on all our micro-torches ourselves. The world needs leaders at every scale.
If you lead a company, you need to be making decisions that will create a positive impact for the generations you’ll never meet. Follow the seven-generation thinking and actions of many indigenous peoples. If you work in a company, you need to push your leaders to lead to that better future. And all of us need to be ready to serve a light which is infinitely more important than our immediate comfort and bank balance.
How we can support you
- Join us on a workshop on how to scale your company; create time to focus on the bigger picture; and keep values and purpose core to your company. For max 5 CEOs of companies with revenues between £1.5m and £15m.
- Subscribe to our Bite-Sized Business Tips - thought snippets for values-centred business leaders. Every few days, a short focussed read on a specific topic of how to lead a company that values both profit and purpose.
- Talk to us to explore how we can help you scale your company in the direction you want to take it.