Trump in the Front?

As Donald Trump takes office as the 45^th president of the United States, he will face a set of challenges unlike any he has faced before. Primary among these is the challenge of building and fostering a cohesive, passionate vision for the nation.

The capacity to create a vision to point people towards, and then to enroll people in, is what CTI calls Leading from the Front.

This dimension of leadership differs from the old paradigm of top-down command and control and instead embraces the idea of a leader who has the conviction to take a stand for something while keeping their heart open enough to enroll others in the vision they see.

Of course, if we want to enroll as many people as possible, we have to set aside methods of divisiveness and cohesion to mine and bring forth the best in others.

To do this, we must listen, open ourselves to other perspectives, and have insight to see how those perspectives fit within the whole. When done well, this generates an unshakable sense of trust, connection, and inclusion.

This also requires compassion, the heart-lens through which we revel in the nuance of differing perspectives to ensure that everyone is represented and is able to add value. At the same time, it also yields fresh momentum based on emergent learning from both successes and failures.

Even if our vision is not able to include every viewpoint, our time spent connecting with others sets the foundation to communicate why without losing trust.

The beautiful thing about Leading from the Front is that we all have the opportunity to step into it in some way, big or small.

We can all inspire others to greater visions of our world and to take action in service of that vision.

So, this week, as the United States inaugurates a new president, we ask, how you will re-inaugurate your Leader from the Front?

What will you do to step forward and create a passionate, inspired vision for yourself and those you have an impact on?

What will you take a stand for? What’s at stake?

What will you do to communicate that vision in a way that enrolls others in it?