When I decided to focus on leadership as a theme for 2022, little did I know the costly and fatal example of leadership would be on full display with the war.
Professional environments tend to pick up buzz words on almost everything. Leadership is no different; remember "Executive Presence" and "Gravitas". I want to address "leading from the front". This seems a reasonably harmless thing to say until you apply context but context in leadership matters.
I submit both Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin are "leading from the front". They are hyper-visible, clear with their vision, and focused on outcomes. However, one leader has brought war, and the other is defending their country. While the international community is split and, in some cases, silent, both men continue to "lead from the front".
The impact of leadership can be very inspiring or cost lives. I think it's time to bury buzz words and acknowledge context when describing what good leadership looks like.
#leadership