A dearth of leadership

Leadership is simple.

It is understanding that those with the greatest need are the greatest priority, and then acting on that knowledge. We need only to look at a family to understand this. I saw it first-hand with a family I knew well. The parents had three children, each of them bright, happy, and filled with potential. The third child was born with Down’s Syndrome, and from the moment they found out, all I saw was a prioritization of that child’s happiness and wellbeing. The other two children thrived in their lives and made sure their brother was loved, happy, and had everything he needed to thrive. That was what their parents demonstrated, how the parents led. It was not always easy to get county resources or the schooling they wanted, but in that family, there was no question that his wellbeing was priority one.

Nobody in that family suffered, not the other four immediate family members and not the extended family that I saw celebrate this child and support him in every way. Instead, each of their lives was fuller and more meaningful because they loved this child and made sure his life was no different, save for the vulnerabilities of living with Down’s Syndrome. They made a commitment from day one; it was all-in from each family member.

Poverty brings vulnerabilities; we see them every day in every state. And the fact that neglect, avoidance, exploitation, and marginalization characterize our approach to it – rather than prioritization and commitment – reveals a serious lack of leadership. There is a cursory treatment of symptoms, but on the ground in cities and towns across the U.S., poverty remains rampant and its effects fatal.

No matter how many awards ceremonies we have for “leaders” or how many LinkedIn posts celebrate this leader or that one, or how many leadership groups gather to network with one another, there is little evidence of leadership in our country.

Leadership is simple, yet rarely in evidence. Its absence is felt in nearly every city and town in the United States. The only silver lining is that this dearth of leadership means there is plenty of room for you to lead. And you don’t have to worry about what is already being done or if you are going to step on anyone’s toes because nobody is solving this. It’s yours to solve.