Have we lost our moral compass?

Of late, I have been pondering what many have pondered before.  Have we as a nation lost our moral compass?
It seems as if  in our search for acceptance, freedom and inclusion, anything goes.   We not only have left our sense of judgment, we seem not to know what to judge.

We see more and more examples of erratic and bizarre behavior.   Sandy Hook, the kidnappings in Cleveland, the bombings in Boston, and countless other events have come to our attention.   Plus all of the business malpractices of the past decade, which may not have directly killed people, but indirectly shortened their lives through stress, loss of life savings, etc.

Where is the indignation? Have we become desensitized so that nothing bothers us?

There is a tendency to protect the rights of the individual to the extreme.   In defense of freedom we are perhaps becoming one of the most dangerous countries in the world.
It is time to wake up and ask ourselves.  What do we believe?  Whom do want to protect?  What do we want to protect?  Where are we going as a nation?

Reflection and Leadership

It does not matter which leadership "advice" book you read.  Everyone mentions the role of reflection.  Invariably as I teach my graduate students who are working professionals, I find that most balk at the suggestion of finding time for reflection in their daily schedule.

All of us are busy.  We all understand that.   Over the years, I have had students mention every conceivable reason why they have little or no time for reflection.   I look deeply into my own life and find the same thing.  There were months and years in which I had little time for reflection.  When I would eventually find time to reflect, I found that it did make a difference.

Now that I have been teaching about leadership for numerous years, I am more aware (of course) of the importance of reflection and make time for it.

I don't do daily reflection, but I try to make reflection a part of my life.   Finding even 10-15 minutes alone (even 5) during the day can help.   At work, sometimes close the door (or if there is no door), take a walk during lunch and sit on a park bench or walk along.

Drop the iPhone or Android phone for a few minutes.   There are few people more devoted to e-mail than I, but I avoid taking out my iPad, Blackberry or other tools in social settings.    I don't text.  I send e-mails instead.  It achieves the same thing but does not signal the person and does not require a separate word structure.     Instead of looking at your mobile device during breaks, close your eyes and reflect.  Reflect on your life, your goals, your progress.  Good luck.

Pope Francis as Servant Leader

We all read a great deal about servant leadership as part of our work on servant leadership.  But, it is rare to observe it.
In the life of Padre Bergoglio, now Pope Francis,  servant leadership comes alive.  I recently read one of the new biographies (the one by Andrea Tornielli, an Italian journalist).
In his life, there are so many examples of servant leadership:  his simplicity, his personal outreach to many, and his refusal to compromise his beliefs and principles.   A man of great integrity and knowledge, Padre Jorge has lived  fully a life as a follower of Jesus.  Bergoglio's life in Argentina was never easy, but it claimed his full dedication to the work of the Lord.

Attempts to demean his work in Argentina were politically inspired, since prominent political leaders did not appreciate his opposition to their policies and acts of suppression.

As apparent from his homilies since becoming Pope, he is a man of relatively few words.  I appreciate his pithy homilies which are more memorable than a lengthy exegesis might be.  A scholar and author, he appreciates the value of words, but uses them sparingly, even quoting St. Francis about preaching the Gospel and when necessary, using words.   Padre Bergoglio has preached by action and example, as well as words.  Recognition of his direct approach to the Gospel is the reason that he has evoked quiet enthusiasm among Christian observers, both Catholic and those from other denominations.  

The "cost" of commuting

In the present era many of us work at remote sites from from the workplace, but are connected by computer, e-mail, phone, fax, skype, and so on.
More and more people now work at home or at locations far from the work site.    There is a temptation of course, many say, to "goof off" more than in the structured workplace or to wear pajamas all day, but in the long run, perhaps one gets more done.  It may depend on the discipline of the individual.

For me, there is no danger of lounging in pjs all day.  I have always been a person who gets dressed immediately in the am.   I don't even go to breakfast in a robe except for a rare occasion when I have a dress-up event early in the day and want to avoid soiling a fancy outfit.   And yes, I do some tasks during the day like laundry but these normally take less time than a coffee break.  

On the other hand, now that I am semi-retired, I rarely go to the office except for class or special meetings.   The other day I had to go to the office to observe a class.   On the whole it took 3.5 hours.   I left at 9:30, the latest one can leave and hope to get a parking space.   I had some time in the office, and reviewed the class, then picked up my coat and supplies and drove home.  Lapsed time was 3.5 hours.  An entire morning         plus most of the noon hour taken up to observe a one hour class.  

A lot of time on the road -- About 1 hour roundtrip in the non-rush hour.  Plus the physical toll that a long drive in traffic takes cannot be understated.

I am becoming an enthusiast of working at a distance when possible.  I hold numerous conferences with colleagues and students from a distance and found them useful and productive.  Since my graduate students are working adults, most of our consultations occur while they are at their workplace and I am working at home.  It is efficient for them and for me.  If they have to come to meet me in the office, most of them also have an hour roundtrip commute and lose an hour out of their workdays.  
It is a win-win situation for us both to consult at a distance.

Efficient and less costly in terms of time and effort.

The Death of A Great Leader

As someone who studies leadership, I use the term great leader sparingly.   There are a lot of wannabe great leaders, but few truly great leaders.   Margaret Thatcher was a great leader.  Her death today brings to the end the life of the first female prime minister of a major western country.   I did not always agree with either her policies or her leadership style.  But, she was determined and uncompromising.   She was often called "the iron lady," which was both a tribute to her determination and a slur against women leaders.   Men are rarely if ever called "an iron leader."   Stalin cultivated the notion of being the man of steel, but few male leaders are compared to metal.  
At the present time, Angela Merkel is sometimes called "the iron frau."   When a woman leader is determined, she is likely to be labeled in some way that can have a double meaning.  

If Hillary Clinton ever becomes president, I suspect she too will be labeled with some variant of "the iron lady."

Margaret was  a path breaker.  The Iron Lady, the film about her life that came out in the last couple of years did little to tell the story of the real Margaret Thatcher.    It had selected flashbacks from a frail elderly lady who appeared to suffer from dementia.  Some events were highlighted but the film, despite Meryl's fabulous acting, gave us a distorted view of  Margaret Thatcher in power.   It was a powerful film on dementia, but not a true political  statement of her contributions.

Farewell, Margaret, and rest in peace.  

Pope Francis and Servant Leadership

This has been an exciting week for Catholics around the world as they waited to learn who the new Pope would be.
The selection of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, a man considered by some as "too old" to become Pope, was a bold step.   The new Pope is a man known for his commitment to servant leadership who has led a life full of challenges and in keeping with humility and modesty.   In his life he has already demonstrated servant leadership for many years.
In less than two days, he has shown what he will do.  Wearing only the white cassock, not the elaborate cape of the Pope, wearing ordinary shoes, paying his own hotel bill, and riding in a mini bus rather than in a limousine were small notes.  Today for the meeting with cardinals, he asked them to wear their black cassocks, not the more elaborate red cassocks of cardinals.
These are all symbolic acts, but symbolism sometimes tells us more about a leader than do words.  

A corporate CEO who tells his employees that there  will be cutbacks and lives a lavish jet set life style gives a strong message.  A non-profit CEO who asks for our funds and takes a huge salary himself also sends a message.

Pope Francis is sending a message that he will pursue a path of humility.   At the same time, in our age, we have to remember that security needs may require him to have more isolation than he may want.  Pope Francis may have to acquiesce to the limousine or popemobile for security against his own preferences.  Such is the tragedy of modern life.

Knowing when it is time....

An important point for leaders  is to know when it is time to leave... Often the perks of a position make it too attractive to stay even beyond one's effectiveness.


This morning the world heard that Pope Benedict XVI plans to resign at the end of the February (18 days from now).   As Cardinal Ratzinger he observed the long, slow decline of Pope John Paul II.   I believe that a couple of years ago he indicated that he was open to resignation if he could not continue at full strength (I don't have the exact information).  
Now he has taken a bold step:  the first Pope in 600 years to resign.  It is a courageous step.  It is a rational step by a man who has devoted his life to careful, rational thinking.   I applaud his courage...

Would that many political leaders would have similar courage!