Ashley Green-Thompson notes that in recent years, uncertainty and the acceptance of a state of not knowing have become close companions. She plans to tell a story about how the organization she leads emerged from a state of not knowing, by abandoning confidence in predetermined results and outcomes.
Instead of setting deadlines for new charters and all associated elements of creating new institutions, they allowed the process of discovery to evolve, exploring all possible options. This approach is fundamentally different from the usual way of solving problems and seeking a better world, as it fosters authenticity and creativity while reducing the need for performative behavior aimed at showcasing one's merits instead of solving the problem.
Giving up the comfort of certainty and knowledge requires significant courage. Composer John Klees mentions that his creativity is enhanced when he stays longer in the discomfort of not knowing, ignoring the natural urge to find an answer and calm the mind. Green-Thompson admits that mastering this art is a process, and she hopes her efforts help the people she works with join this path.
She emphasizes that the role of a leader is to point the way toward something else that could improve life, practice, and policy. Leadership goes far beyond a position obtained through education, social status, or political trajectory; it requires an inner essence and resilience. It is important to understand that this refers to qualitative leadership capable of ensuring improved coexistence, not the insane leadership of megalomania, which, in the author's view, has darkened human history, citing Hitler, Mussolini, Verwound, Netanyahu, and Trump as examples.
To lead is to take the first step that prompts others to follow you into places they would not normally go. It is the ability to see beyond the present moment, without allowing the current situation to limit the possibilities of action. Leadership implies realizing that beyond the immediate present there is something achievable, even if we do not yet know what it is.
A leader must show others what is possible and convince them to join the journey toward that goal. In sports, a captain motivates the team to draw deep reserves of energy and strength for victory. In politics, a leader demonstrates the possibility of building a better society through their behavior. In families and households, competent guidance forms brotherly and sisterly bonds that form the basis of strong communities and societies.
This transformative type of leadership requires a system of values based on humanism and love for humanity and the planet. One cannot lead by manipulating people's fears and insecurities, turning them into adoration of a savior-leader. Instead, such leadership requires relationships—a fundamental connection between people and between people and their environment.
Maintaining these connections requires time and dedication. A leader must support their community to enact necessary changes to move forward and embrace the creative force that comes with letting go of certainty. It is necessary to implement a questioning approach instead of the dangerous dead end of uncritical acceptance, according to which we believe answers have already been found, as this leads to stagnation.
The author observes many examples of ineffective leadership in her life: how eloquence and cultural pride are wasted on inciting anti-immigrant sentiment; how innovators in corporations and government agencies remain on the sidelines, losing their skills because 'leadership' does not consider them suitable; and how too many young families cement childhood traumas due to how they were raised, because there was no leadership to help them see beyond what was happening.
Green-Thompson is inspired by the idea of servant leadership. The task for everyone—in our homes, workplaces, and schools—is to strive for this ideal and seek ways to demonstrate leadership in their spheres with kindness, vision, compassion, diligence, inspiration, and work ethic, while enjoying the process and finding time for both rest and hard work.
