After the 2016 Presidential election in the United States, I took time-off from facilitating workshops and writing weekly blogs to try and understand the challenges, fears, and concerns facing the U.S. and our larger global community. There seemed to be a shift away from engagement and inclusion, and a regression back to entrenched partisanship, borders, and tribalism. I was concerned that the election results signaled a long-term or permanent shift away from respectful engagement, multiculturalism, and diversity. I wanted to find ways to work toward open dialogue, community building, and leadership development.
The behaviors of the candidates and their supporters - their focus on insult, rudeness, and nationalism - undermined the fundamental ideals of engagement and demonstrated a failure or rejection of ethical leadership. Their messages were similar; borders not brotherhood, demagoguery not dialogue, “us” not “them,” fear not understanding. There was a demonstrated lack of empathy, connection, dialogue, and understanding. Many of the candidates who ran on platforms of fear, separation, and demonizing the “other,” also used the word leadership as part of their campaigns. This continues in our current state of politics and has only worsened with the 2024 election.
This focus on fear, nationalism, and tribalism was not exclusive to the United States. Many countries traditionally seen as open and welcoming produced candidates who ran campaigns based on fear. A re-energized right was determined to move from the fringe to the mainstream: the Freedom Party in Austria won 35.1% of the vote in 2016 and 27% in 2017; the Alternative for Germany party took 14.2% of the vote in 2016; the Danish People’s Party won 21.1% of the vote in 2015; the Law and Justice Party won 37.6% of the vote in Poland; and the Swiss People’s Party won 29.4% of the vote that same year in Switzerland. Even in the United Kingdom, the 2016 Brexit vote was seen by many as an embrace of borders, exclusion, and “fear of the other,” as it passed with nearly 52% of the vote.[i] These “leaders” seem determined to undermine democratic principles and hard-won efforts of inclusion.
Leadership has traditionally been defined as the ability, standing, power, or right to lead others.[ii]This definition leaves out the moral imperative of caring for those one leads in a positive, inclusive, ethical, benevolent, and compassionate way. This traditional definition is focused solely on power and not on how leaders engage with others on the journey – this can lead to toxic leadership. True qualities of leadership are not predicated on wealth, class, race, gender, or position. They consist of intrinsic qualities connected to principled behaviors, personal responsibility, positive engagement, caring, and character.[iv]
I defined leadership as, “The ability to effectively and responsibly engage with people, processes, and programs, to achieve organizational, team, or individual goals.” Developing or enhancing the skills of effective leadership is a life-long journey and requires a commitment to key values demonstrated through behaviors.[v] After the election of Donald Trump, I felt compelled to update the definition used in The Leadership Papers: Tools for Effective Leadership and highlight the need for "ethical" behavior as a critical component of leadership and success. In my book Reclaiming Ethical Leadership, the updates are as follows:
- Leadership – The ability to engage with people, processes, and programs effectively, responsibly, and ethically to achieve organizational, team, or individual goals.
- Success – Attaining your dreams while maintaining your dignity and the dignity of others.
In both books, I propose a new standard for leaders and a new model for leadership, one that is focused on serving the needs of others, built on an internal fire of unity, diversity, inclusion, social justice, and common humanity, a Benevolent Compassionate Leadership (BCL).
- Benevolent – established, organized, or focused on doing good.
- Compassionate – feeling and demonstrating empathy and caring for others.
The updated definition of leadership and success, and the actions of benevolent compassionate leaders should be synonymous. Benevolent compassionate leaders (BCLs) are focused on doing good; demonstrating care and empathy; engaging with people, processes, and programs effectively, responsibly, and ethically to achieve organizational, team, or individual goals; and attaining their dreams while maintaining their dignity and the dignity of others. Nowhere in these new definitions is there a suggestion that benevolent compassionate leaders are weak; that they should shy away from challenges; have a meek, milquetoast, hat-in-hand attitude; or lose all drive, competitive spirit, or will to be the best. These enhancements simply provide a compass for the journey. [vi]
The key values of leadership are accountability, character, effective communication, understanding of self, understanding of others, understanding of the objective(s), practice, and patience.[vii] If our “leaders” adopted these values, there would be less of a focus on “Us vs. Them” and more of a focus on “We.” Our leaders would build bridges to understand differences, create systems that support all individuals, and value human dignity above personal gain.
There are no simple solutions for the challenges we face today, but engaged positive leadership is crucial to problem-solving. Some believe that leadership is an exclusive characteristic reserved for the privileged or elite, connected to one’s station in life, family name, education, or other measures of status. I believe that leadership is inherent in everyone, but only those who practice and hone their skills become the best leaders.[viii]
Whether you are just starting on your leadership journey or are a seasoned veteran, these books can provide context for your continued growth and development.
Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is precisely that simple and it is also that difficult. – Warren Bennis
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[i] The New York Times; How Far Is Europe Swinging to the Right? By GREGOR AISCH, ADAM PEARCE and BRYANT ROUSSEAU UPDATED October 23, 2017; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/05/22/world/europe/europe-right-wing-austria-hungary.html
[ii] Reclaiming Ethical Leadership Hardcover – September 22, 2024 by Russell L Davis (Author), Pg 30
[iii] Russell L. Davis, The Leadership Papers: Tools for Effective Leadership (Paperback), Create Space Independent Publishing Platform (November 3, 2018), p. 213
[iv]Ibid p. 7
[v] Ibid p. 19
[vi] Reclaiming Ethical Leadership Hardcover – September 22, 2024 by Russell L Davis (Author), Pg 32
[vii] Russell L. Davis, The Leadership Papers: Tools for Effective Leadership (Paperback), Create Space Independent Publishing Platform (November 3, 2018), pg. 19
[viii]Ibid. . 7
