It’s that season again. Elected officials and those who want to be elected officials are kicking off their campaigns at the local, state, and federal levels.
So far, the campaign messaging is about the same as it has been in the past. Candidates let us know they have the solutions to our issues; they let us know what and who we need to be afraid of; they try to convince us their party is more effective than the other party; and they let us know we, as citizens, would be far better off if they were in office. This kind of patriarchal and scarcity-like messaging leaves us thinking leaders have the answers and are the answers. No one else really matters nor needs to be accountable. And we, as citizens, are left with no other option than to merely be passive consumers of what leaders have in mind for us and to “vote” for a better life.
The School of Statesmanship, Stewardship, and Service(SOSSAS) provides an entirely different approach. At the heart of our school is the perspective that we, as citizens, can and should play a much larger role in determining our own destiny and rather than be passive consumers of what others have in mind for us, we can become producers of our own futures.
SOSSAS teaches leaders how to encourage citizen engagement, how to surface, activate and coordinate the abundant social capital in our communities, and how to enhance and leverage the goodness that is so prevalent in our midst.
Given that we are at that time where we will be asked to vote for new leaders, we would like to offer ten litmus-like questions for people to consider when making their choices.
Does the person wanting a leadership role:
1) Just provide answers, or are they adept at asking powerful questions? Answers typically limit engagement on the part of others; well designed questions can create engagement and the possibility of a necessary and new conversation.
2) See the community as a problem to be solved or do they emphasize the possibilities of community? Problem solving merely fixes the past; possibility thinking transcends our old stories, our failures, and envisions what we could live into.
3) Believes systems, improved expertise, leadership, and the professionals are the foundation of a great community, or do they understand that great citizens are the ones who produce great communities.
4) Try to convince you they are or have the answers to your problems, or do they encourage you to be the author of your own experiences?
5) Believe that our country, state, community, or organization should work for everyone, or do they create divisiveness amongst people.
6) Market fear and fault and let us know all the reasons why we should be afraid, or do they talk about how our greatness is determined by the content of our goodness.
7) Reinforce self-interest and isolation or are they committed to the wellbeing of the whole? Often leaders build walls around them under the seige of fears.
8) Believe social and health issues can be solved by ramping up laws and oversight, or do they embrace the idea that healing and restoring only occurs when those who are struggling or marginalized are embraced by the entire community.
9) See the abundancy of our community or country, or do they operate from a scarcity mindset? There is room for everyone to meaningfully participate, not just a few! Our community should be one that works for all.
10) Have the skills and perspective to invite and convene all voices and find fertile common ground, or do they default to partisanship?
At SOSSAS, we make it clear that we can no longer blame leaders and in the same breath, declare our own innocence. It is imperative, now and in the future, for us to choose leaders who can galvanize a whole community, state, or country, and it is more important for each of us to be the authors of our own destiny, be the caretakers of our neighborhoods, and to be part of activating the common good.
We need leaders who recognize the possibilities of our community, state, and country and are wanting and willing to surface and activate the goodness and infinite nature of ALL of us.