After just one month of 2017 and
two weeks into the term of a new President, we find our country to be in
interesting and challenging times. Our
political and social landscape is changing, seems incredibly delicate, and is actually
very contentious. The world of social
media has forever changed how information is disseminated and opinions are
formed. That is not necessarily a change
for the better. We are quick to make
judgments; we fail to research facts; we condemn too quickly. It is way too easy to be extremist and hateful
from the safety of an iPhone or keyboard.
We also think it takes too much time to truly listen, educate ourselves
and fully understand issues. The issues
are passionate, significant ones. The
extremely divided opinions on many of these topics is both surprising and
totally understandable. But remember, varying
viewpoints, backgrounds and beliefs are what makes this country great.
What does all of this mean for
those striving to be great leaders? Let
me suggest…
·
Be bold but thoughtful
·
Ensure that passions and
convictions are well supported by facts
·
Drawing lines in the sand and
jumping to conclusions are short sighted behaviors
·
There is power in being positive
even in debate
·
Every thought or opinion, political
or otherwise, that crosses one’s mind does not have to be posted to social
media
·
Don’t believe, nor become enraged
by, everything you read on the internet or social media
·
Be careful of the momentum of the
bandwagon; groups with common beliefs often feed off themselves without considering
differing viewpoints
·
Most importantly… Listen, truly listen with the intent to
understand.
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