“A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position,” John C. Maxwell.  I want to talk about this a bit because we are on the precipice of great change.  We are at a point in history where everyone is looking for freedom and the ability to lead their own lives and make their own decisions while simultaneously continuing to operate under the paradigm that we need control and leadership over all systems.  I don’t pretend for a second that we would successfully operate in a society where we let go of all rules and everyone did exactly as they wanted—but I also don’t pretend that the way our current leadership, structure, and systems operate is successful.  We no longer need the type of leadership that tells us what to do at all times and feeds off of its citizens as legalized slaves, their energy spent protecting a system rather than the people.  We also don’t need the type of system that allows for everyone to do whatever they want whenever they want regardless of what it does to other people.  We’ve operated under the idea that those are the only choices for too long.  There are never just two choices, never just two sides. 

The truth is there is a middle.  We need freedom to be who we are and to operate our lives as we see fit and we also need mechanisms in place that allow for people to thrive in who they are.  We also need mechanisms in place to protect people and help guide people when they need to figure it out—but this is more a way to help people figure out where their skills and talents fit in, how we complement each other.  We need to let go of the search for power because this has more to do with maintaining power in our own lives while cooperating with others.  Until we learn to work with each other we will always seek power over each other.  Until we understand that we have the ability to change things, we will always seek power over each other.  Until we learn to trust and see the bigger picture, we will always seek power over each other.  A leader isn’t someone who tells us what to do, no a leader is someone who helps us navigate the course of our lives so we get to where we are meant to be.  A leader helps us achieve a common goal that allows us to play our part. 

Human nature balks at the idea of someone telling us what to do with every facet of our lives and we are all rallying now to determine who will be the best person to tell us what is right and wrong.  That is far too much power to put on one person.  Yes, that may have been necessary in the infancy and early stages of development (whether it’s an infant or a country, please see that parallel), but we are well-evolved and past the point where we need that level of interference.  We are also past the point where we can pretend that what once worked still does.  We need to take back the idea that we are in control of our lives and that we aren’t serving a person, or a country—we are serving each other.  When it comes down to it, human nature is cooperative.  Yes, we still have survival instincts, but we innately understand that working together helps us all do better.  We need to remember that regardless of what leadership is in place, we are more than capable of leading ourselves and that we have the power to change things.  Position means nothing—we are all leaders.  As Robin Sharma says, we do not need a title to lead—we lead our own lives.  Be the people we are meant to be and remember that we are for each other, not for a broken, antiquated system.  Support each other, care for each other, and we allow who we are to shine as brightly as possible.  Tough times create strength—so no matter where we fall today, remember that we are stronger together.