Are You Leading with Light?
We are living in perhaps the most remarkable and challenging times in our nation’s history.
Somehow, we are now a nation that finds itself neck-deep in tumult, turbulence, and turmoil.
Neighbors are at odds with one another. So much so that a recent survey entitled Civility in America revealed that the typical American now experiences, on average, 2.4 personal acts of incivility per day.
Likewise, employers and employees are now engaged in an epic battle of wills so intense that it threatens the very work ethic on which our country was founded.
Wrestling with once unimaginable concepts like “quiet quitting,” “coffee badging,” and “bare-minimum Mondays,” it appears that, in our once-great workplaces, the race to the bottom is on.
And our children are not exempt from this madness.
In fact, the typical kid in America is now plugged into a digital device for more than nine hours a day. As a result, they are filled with so much negativity and nervous energy that millions and millions of them have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders.
As a quick aside, it appears our children are not the only ones afraid of being canceled.
In fact, according to researcher Robert Feldman, the average person now lies three times in the first ten minutes of meeting someone new. (By way of explanation, Feldman reveals that this is done to “lubricate” the conversation so as to avoid being challenged, chastised, and/or canceled.)
Needless to say, all of this division, strife, and contentiousness among our nation’s citizens, leaders, and institutions can’t exist without consequences.
Consider the following:
- Our collective faith in our most trusted institutions (e.g., government, education, media, banks, churches, law enforcement, major corporations, and healthcare) is at an all-time low and now hovers around a dismal 26%.
- Just a few decades ago, 33 percent of Americans reported having 10 (or more!) close friends. In 2021, that number dropped precipitously to just 13 percent. Unfathomably, 40% of American’s now report they DO NOT have a best friend.
- Almost every measure of mental health is getting worse for every demographic in the US.
- Because US children have moved from an experiential, play-based childhood to a phone-based one, tens of millions of kids now struggle to master age-adequate challenges.
- Americans have as little optimism as they have had at any time in nearly three decades about young people’s chances of having greater material success in life than their parents.
- And despite being the most prosperous nation on the planet, our health status and collective life expectancy is decreasing.
Make no mistake: Today’s “Leading with Light” e-newsletter is a call to action.
Serious and formidable forces are shaking and reshaping our world—and this simply can’t happen on our watch.
So How Did We Get Here?
To borrow a line from Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, it happened “gradually and then suddenly.”
Slowly, over time, we took our eyes off the things that matter most.
Somehow, “being right” became more important than listening and learning.
Insidiously, digital devices have replaced deep dialogue and discussion.
And perhaps most concerningly of all, “hair on fire” and FOMO have taken the place of slow, steady, sturdy and steadfast.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, if we want to lead lives of significance, it can’t be this way.
Leading with Light
It’s been said that hard times create strong leaders. And in return, strong leaders create even stronger people.
I’m praying that this is true.
Today, be a leader of light.
See light. Be light. Spread light.
Bring hope to everyone around you. Reinforce the idea that our very best days are still to come.
Make it point to instill purpose and meaning everywhere you go. Never forget: the two most important days in people’s lives are the day they are born and the day they find out why.
Be grateful. Give thanks for your rich and abundant blessings—food on your table, clothes on your back, a warm place to sleep, people who love you and care about you.
Honor your health—mind, body, and spirit. Think deeply. Move joyfully. Rejoice always.
And last but not least, be kind. Talk, walk, and model civility. Forgive generously. Love abundantly.
When taken together, decades of the world’s best research (and millennia of common sense!) tell us that these five priorities (which can be remembered as L-I-G-H-T) are precisely what separate good leaders from great ones.
So until next time, we encourage you to take these words to heart:
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
For all the people you can,
For as long as you possibly can.
Can I get an amen?
Until Next Time...
We’ve picked some articles we think you might like! Click below to read more.
Are You A Believing, Difference Maker?
By definition, believing is the act of accepting something as true, real, or valid, often based on conviction rather than absolute proof.
Said differently, when you really, honestly, and truly believe that something is possible, you actually begin to see it take shape right before your very eyes—even though it hasn’t happened yet.
With this as the background, there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that Herb Brooks was a true, believing difference-maker.
To be sure, his belief that the U.S. hockey team could win gold in Lake Placid was absolute, intense, and unwavering.
Are You Leading with Light?
We are living in perhaps the most remarkable and challenging times in our nation’s history. Somehow, we are now a nation that finds itself neck-deep in tumult, turbulence, and turmoil. Neighbors are at odds with one another. So much so that a recent survey entitled Civility in America revealed that the typical American now experiences, on average, 2.4 personal acts of incivility per day.
Spilling the Beans
As Leaders of LIGHT, we get paid to make sure that all the trains run on time. Some days, it’s easy. Some days, it’s not. And some days, despite our best efforts, we just need a little help. And that’s where caffeine comes in.
About Lead with Light
Lead with Light is an initiative that aims to equip current and emerging leaders with a reimagined approach to servant leadership.
Our ultimate vision is to grow and develop thousands of Leaders of Light to ignite a movement to see light, be light, and spread light in ways only each can.