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Value-centered Leadership
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Value-centered leadership


A book on value-centered politics tells a story from India of a bird that lays its eggs in the stratosphere. The egg plunges down, while the embryo is madly gestating into a little bird that, at the last minute, mere yards above the rocks and branch-spikes, breaks from its shell and flies skyward toward the clouds. This kind of transformation is a real edge-of-the-seat affair, isn't it?

Everyday around the world, we see on television how power is used to manipulate the public to think that their interests are served by the same things that serve them. In all honesty, even our economy, technology and media environment are all dedicated to dish up their own interests… but what about the things that matters most to ordinary people --- like plain housewives, farmers and other underprivileged people. Who really cares about what they are going through in their day-to-day struggles?

In truth, there is much to thank for the efforts of these advocacy groups who vigilantly make the voice of the weak and marginalized heard. Their advocacies for environmental protection, agrarian reform and just labor management serve the larger society but which definitely undermine the interests of a few, who conveniently call them as "special interest groups." Over the long run, we all hope that this will change and is in fact starting to change but in the meantime during this transition, we'll have to do things in the old ways to buy time and space in which to do (and learn to do) things in new ways. Then slowly, we may be able to replace the adversarial/power-over methods with more sustainable and holistic brand of leadership.

Everyone, without exception, is ready for a new kind of politics or leadership. A value-centered politics that is! It can occur when social and political change happens in tandem with personal change. We already figured it out by now that many of our political and social problems can no longer be solved at the same level of thinking that has caused these problems. A fundamental shift in consciousness in order to find solutions to these problems is necessary ----perhaps, a change in consciousness that comes from our hearts.

A transformed kind of politics is what we truly need. Those people with the kind of politics that does not consider running for a form of office as the end all and be all-- they are those people who would most likely take direct action in a particular field either through employment, health, housing, all sorts of educational initiatives, parenting, environmental action, anti-racism, anti-nuclear, peace groups or whatever…such practice of politics that connects the information in the head to the feelings in the heart. Value-centered politicians are those that question deeply both what they think and feel when they are in a position of leadership or are planning for changes or evaluating a policy.

Though it seems many people have given up the idea that politics could ever be driven by deeper values than just self interest and personal power or the lust for position. To dare to bring heart qualities into the political arena holds a fascination for even the most cynical.

It is high time to start erasing the common people’s cynicism in leadership which leads to a lack of involvement in community affairs. While there is no doubt that the democratic system we have is better than the political system endured by our ancestors, there are still many shadows within our democracies today... shadows that hide the real workings of power, and shadows that are preventing the work for the common good.

A value-centered kind of leadership truly has the potential for maturation. In the same way, we common citizens also need a maturation of our emotional response to the problems of the world. Unlike many people, who in their desire to escape the real pain and darkness of our times, divorce themselves from the real pains that are in the world
The real transformation we all need is one that is not lost to feelings of vulnerability, or a real sense of compassion but at the same time it should also be tough ...with a warrior's heart, a heart that is not just feeling but also allows wisdom and judgment, a heart that takes courage in doing difficult things and that knows when to be fierce. Yes, there should be balance….and then direction follows. In my analysis, the heart of the matter is ----- to stay rooted to our values in order to gain balance and direction.

Karen Israel-Iniego

July 27, 2008 | 12:55 AM Comments  0 comments

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