The day after President George W. Bush was elected to his first term in office (November 5, 2000), I wrote the following blog. I wrote (and revised) it again after the Obama (2008), Trump (2016) and Biden (2020).   I offer it again (updated) here for your consideration, without comment. But I would love to hear your comments.

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I have a theory about leadership (many, actually, but just one to share now!). I think CEOs and other leaders take their cue for their own leadership style from the current CEO of America – its Commander-in-Chief. If the prevailing mood is one of fear, power, partisanship, separateness, competition, Darwinism, greed, secrecy, autocracy, bias and manipulation, and this is acted out through the Executive Branch of the US Administration, then other leaders see this as the “approved model” for their own behavior, and behave accordingly. Sometimes the leadership signature style emanating from the White House may be in opposition to the general sentiment of the overall population, and this may be just such a time.

This of course, leads to separateness – blacks and whites, Latinos, suburban Moms, rich and poor, college- and non-college educated, employed and unemployed, Christian and Muslim, health-insured and not, for us and against us, red states and blue ones, and so on. America has voted in what may have been the most emotional and partisan (separateness thinking) election in recent memory. But, America voted with hope and optimism for a return to greater unity (oneness thinking), a sense of our own potential to serve the world, that has rarely been fulfilled in recent memory.

As a result, I forecast a huge change in leadership style. I am seeing it already in my work. I have been spending hundreds of hours with clients whom I am coaching or teaching, and in every case, I have heard a growing cry for a different leadership style, which I call “The New Story of Leadership” – one that we have been teaching for decades, and which may resonate more powerfully now than at any time since we founded The Secretan Center 50 years ago. Followers have a greater yearning than ever to feel inspired and hopeful, and feeling this way leads to high performance – for corporations and for nations. But this inclusive and compassionate leadership style may sit on the backburner for the next four years, because the incoming administration is going to be a lot more cut-and-dried and a lot less consultative.

Some, who cling to the old story of leadership, think that it is weak to lead with compassion and love, but Michael Bischoff reminded me recently, in a comment he posted on this blog, of Martin Luther King’s words, “What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” And Doris Kearns’ brilliant biography of Abraham Lincoln, “Team of Rivals”, describes how Abraham Lincoln used the power and possibility of inclusive leadership so incisively – even inspiring his opponent into joining his cabinet.

So, let us commit to being leaders who inspire others to greatness through love AND power, compassion and truth, courage and integrity, inclusion and collaboration, and a vision of outcomes that benefits us all. Regardless of who is leading or what we ourselves lead – we can change the world.

PS. In this election, I hoped for one outcome, but feared another might happen – and my fears were realized.  So I took the precaution of spending about 6 weeks prior to the election to meditate and prepare myself for an eventuality I did not prefer.  And when it happened, I was at peace, while many of my friends were grieving and despondent.  Not me.  I am looking for the good things that will come from this administration – yes, there will be many bad things, but there will be good things too.  Let’s get behind those, and let’s collaborate and stand together for a change.