I am beginning to wonder whether politicians can be adaptive leaders.
My observation is that too many of them pedal paranoia, cultivate distrust, and encourage either denial or distortion of facts. Debates devolve into a denigration of differences rather than a civil exploration and examination of complexity and the unknown. The impact on constituents is cynicism, intellectual laziness, projection and scapegoating. Rather than those following being encouraged to look within and deal with substantive issues they are directed to stick with the external and the superficial. This way of “leading” encourages inauthentic behavior, avoidance of self-responsibility, and blaming. The societal impact is destructive of the public good. The counter is to look elsewhere for the kind of leadership that invites and engages followers in the work of self-differentiation and community building.
There are several things we can do to counter the negative political discourse and the culture of leadership created by it.
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Own our individual responsibility for learning; and seek more information from multiple, diverse, and conflicting sources.
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Establish connections with those who are different and really listen to them and their ideas for understanding.
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Ask questions of ourselves and others, and create hospitable space in which there is psychological and emotional safety and adequate time given to addressing the questions.
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Identify and question your core values and beliefs and test them for validity given current knowledge and circumstances.
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Test to see if these values are congruent with the beliefs you espouse.
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Speak your truth and realize that no one person has the corner on truth; collectively, the chance of finding truth is greater in dialogue. Without this the chances of being swallowed up by one’s own ego is great.
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Be an example of civility especially when others aren’t.
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Nurture your inner being through practices such as journaling, solitude and silence.
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Embrace your strengths – they will provide the strength needed to endure and overcome adversity; acknowledge your imperfections- they are the cutting edge you’ll need for growth.
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Trust in something bigger than you -the transcendent; this will enable you to lead with confidence and humility.
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