Living in Northeast Ohio (and particularly Cleveland) provides a lot of chances to think about leadership. There’s a dearth of good ones here & they almost always operate into a headwind. The lack of quality is such that even mediocre leaders appear as relatively shining examples. Mostly you get management & maintenance of the status quo. That’s slow decline defined. Then you look at sovereign governments around the world, and so many elected folks just seem asleep at the wheel. I can’t tell if it’s ennui or endemic narcissism — the idea machines just don’t seem to work anymore & the people who are supposed to make ’em work are all dogs who won’t hunt. Hand to god, I’m glad I work at a place full of great leaders. It’s exceptional.
Yeah, I live in the USA, & that’s been a clear example of brain-dead governance for a decade at least. Demagoguery is an ugly word to say, read, or spell, but it’s the closest thing we have to shit getting done. So nothing ever gets done. The British exit from the European Union has brought self-inflicted foot wound dithering to its apotheosis. The proxy wars in the Middle East are appropriately byzantine. This feels like coke-addled cold war 80s retro laissez faire boomer last gasps. Except boomers can afford healthcare and will probably still be in charge for another 15 years.
Jeff Bezos is probably the best leader in the world, whether or not you agree with his methods. He barely has to deal with the National Enquirer blackmailing him over dick pics, but he’s got no challengers in business leadership. I’m not sure how he stays sharp since he’s so far out front. I’m not sure how any leader stays sharp when they’re the only game in town.
For me trying to be a leader has become habitual because I’m immediately exasperated if no one takes charge. Yeah, I’ll do it. Someone has to make sure the job is done right, the issue is resolved. It’s called responsibility & it sure would be nice if the world’s ostensible leaders saw the value in taking it seriously.