Calacirian» Blog Archive » Leadership In An Age of Cholera

November 4th, 2008 by Sonja

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Cholera: any of several diseases of humans and domestic animals usually marked by severe gastrointestinal symptoms ; especially : an acute diarrheal disease caused by an enterotoxin produced by a comma-shaped gram-negative bacillus (Vibrio cholerae syn. V. comma) when it is present in large numbers in the proximal part of the human small intestine. Merriam-Webster on-line

I just voted. Yes, I voted for the hip, young man of color for President. I have many reasons why and I’ll get to them in a second. But first a wee story or two.

It was exciting to go and vote this time. In fact, I scared my poor poll worker, I was so exuberant at the little screen. Then when she handed me my sticker, she hugged me. As I attempted to dance through the wrong doors in exit, all the poll workers called to me and I turned around abashed at my silliness. I was just too giddy. Why was I giddy? Here’s why.
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I remember the 1960’s. Most of all, I remember Martin Luther King, Jr. If I had to pick a hero, he’d be it. He was a legend in his own time. I might pick Gandhi, but for a real American hero, I’d pick King. Every year I listen to his “I Have A Dream” speech and cry. I’ve studied his speeches and writings; I have a fairly good idea of which Biblical prophets he was studying when he wrote. And today … well, today … I got to vote for someone based upon the content of his character not the color of his skin. Amen and hallelujah. And the tiny little poll worker who hugged me? Well, she was African-American too.
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Mind you, I did NOT vote for Obama because of his roots either. Did I listen to both sides? No, not equally. I lost respect for the Republican party back in 2000 and again when Republicans treated James Jeffords with such disrespect when he became an independent. The party had huge barriers to overcome in my mind, and they failed to get there. Experience the ultimate productivity boost and heightened focus with our range of modafinil forms. Whether you prefer tablets, capsules, or even a convenient sublingual option, we’ve got you covered! ?

Here is why I voted for Obama …

“People are more inclined to be drawn in if their leader has a compelling vision. Great leaders help people get in touch with their own aspirations and then will help them forge those aspirations into a personal vision.” John Kotter

I didn’t find that quote until about a week ago when I was looking for something else entirely. But it encapsulates my reasons for choosing Obama for president. Even my father has some qualms about the details of his platform, the hows and wherefors. What exactly will he do if he is elected? For someone with little time in his role in the Senate those are very legitimate questions. But it’s his ability to inspire that I look at. Take charge of your data collection process and make informed decisions with ambien Forms!

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Frankly, I’m tired of leaders who go around poking into private business looking for what is wrong. I want leaders who will inspire us to find our dreams and make them reality. It is in those dreams and that reality that we will rebuild our economy, our infrastructure, get us off the dependence on petroleum and many of the other ills that we currently find ourselves in. That sort of leadership is transformational; it begins at the top and trickles down. We learn how to encourage and develop our own dreams. Then we learn how to encourage and develop the dreams of others.

Or will it? Can a charismatic leader help us overcome our addiction to power? That’s the question for the ages. Too often people in leadership are at the top, they lead from above and are in a position of power. They have the ability to cause hardship, pain and devastation to those they purport to lead. Typically, those who are leading hold all or most of the cards. But in this new scenario, of dream empowerment, the little guy, the individual is given the space to dream and realize those dreams.

So, will we find this in Obama? I don’t know. I hope so. But that’s what I voted for; that’s what I’m hoping for. That’s the kind of leadership I’m hoping for. In this age of choleric leadership, we need something new. We need something that won’t revolt us and turn our stomachs. Something, someone nationally, and locally who will help us find our own dreams and turn them into reality.

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This is part of synchroblog on Leadership … the rest of the most excellent writings are below, please check them out:

Jonathan Brink – Letter To The President

Adam Gonnerman – Aspiring to the Episcopate

Kai – Leadership – Is Servant Leadership a Broken Model?

Sally Coleman – In the world but not of it- servant leadership for the 21st Century Church

Alan Knox – Submission is given not taken

Joe Miller – Elders Lead a Healthy Family: The Future

Cobus van Wyngaard – Empowering leadership

Steve Hayes – Servant leadership

Geoff Matheson – Leadership

John Smulo – Australian Leadership Lessons

Helen Mildenhall – Leadership

Tyler Savage – Moral Leadership – Is it what we need?

Bryan Riley – Leading is to Listen and Obey

Susan Barnes – Give someone else a turn!

Liz Dyer – A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Polls…

Lionel Woods – Why Diverse Leadership is Good for America

Julie Clawson – Leadership Expectations

Ellen Haroutunian – A New Kind Of Leadership

Matt Stone – Converting Leadership

Steve Bradley – Lording or Leading?

Adam Myers – Two types of Leadership

Bethany Stedman – A Leadership Mosaic

Kathy Escobar – I’m Pretty Sure This Book Won’t Make It On The Bestseller List

Fuzzy Orthodoxy – Self Leadership

Sonja Andrews – Leadership In An Age of Cholera

Tara Hull – Leadership & Being A Single Mom

16 Responses

Letter To The President « Missio Dei writes:
November 4th, 200811:22 amat

[…] Sonja Andrews – Leadership In An Age of Cholera […]
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Polls… « Grace Rules Weblog writes:
November 4th, 200812:08 pmat

[…] Sonja Andrews – Leadership In An Age of Cholera […]
Servant Leadership - A Broken Model? « Kaiblogy writes:
November 4th, 200810:40 pmat

[…] Sonja Andrews – Leadership In An Age of Cholera […]
Servant leadership « Khanya writes:
November 5th, 20084:26 amat

[…] Sonja Andrews – Leadership In An Age of Cholera […]
Steve Hayes writes:
November 5th, 20084:49 amat

Yes, he does seem to have vision. I just hope it goed beyond the sound-bite vision of Tony Blair, who aroused similar hopes 11 years ago — a young dynamic visionary leader. Perhaps I’m over-cynical, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Leadership | TheGeoffRe(y)port writes:
November 5th, 20088:07 pmat

[…] Sonja Andrews – Leadership In An Age of Cholera […]
kathyescobar writes:
November 5th, 200811:59 pmat

sonja, as always, great stuff here. i am a total mlk fan, all the way. every quote i ever get from him i have to write down and there’s no way i can listen to that speech without crying. i have a lot of hope for the future, not because we have some kind of new amazing leader who will make it all happen, but because hope and dreams for what could be are being kindled.
Jonathan Brink writes:
November 6th, 20081:40 amat

Sonja, vision was also one of the original reasons I chose Obama. I never got that from McCain.
Leadership In An Age of Cholera writes:
November 6th, 20083:10 amat

[…] Leadership In An Age of Cholera Did I listen to both sides? No, not equally. I lost respect for the Republican party back in 2000 and again when Republicans treated James… […]
BroKen writes:
November 6th, 20081:42 pmat

Sonja,

I will continue to pray for you that you will learn to think. You make it clear that you voted for Obama because he made you feel good. Wow. Good luck with that. I hope it works out for you, and the rest of us who are deeply concerned that his nebulous “vision” will not disappoint when it has to be made concrete in the day to day decisions of a president.

You really voted for Obama on the content of his character and his race had nothing to do with it? You’ll forgive me if I tell you that I’m a bit skeptical of that too.

But mostly I’ll be praying for healing of that wound described in your previous post on “choice.” I’ll pray that the your guilt will be completely covered in Jesus blood. When you are free you can then think clearly and feel deeply about issues around life and death.

“When your mind is a mess so is mine
I can’t sleep ’cause it hurts when I think
of the plans that we make, the chances we take
they’re not yours, they’re not mine,
they’re just waves that can break.

All the words that we said and the words that we mean,
words can fall short can’t you see the unseen
’cause the world is awake for somebody’s sake now
please close your eyes woman please get some sleep.

And know that if I knew
all of the answers I would not
hold them from you.
All of the things that I know
is we told each other,
there is no other way.” –Jack Johnson
Sonja writes:
November 6th, 20082:09 pmat

wow, Ken … that’s mighty arrogant of you. Just because I think differently and came to a different conclusion than you, I can’t think. Hubris … it’s brought down many a better man than you. If that is what is driving your prayers, then you can keep them. I don’t want them.

Perhaps you’ve noticed the miniature poster on my sidebar. It says this: “If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” I take that seriously. Ponder it and pray over it for awhile please before you respond.
South Africa’s leadership crisis « nextchurch writes:
November 6th, 20087:16 pmat

[…] Sonja Andrews – Leadership In An Age of Cholera […]
BroKen writes:
November 7th, 200811:18 amat

Arrogant? Me? I plead guilty. But I don’t think my post expresses that arrogance. I’m sure some people voted rationally for Obama. Yet you say you voted for him for “his ability to inspire” while admitting that you don’t know how he will use that ability.

“So, will we find this in Obama? I don’t know. I hope so. But that’s what I voted for; that’s what I’m hoping for.”

You bought a pig (sorry Mrs. Palin) in a poke. That’s not a rational act, but an emotional one. Am I arrogant for pointing that out?

This morning I was listening to NPR and a reporter stated that as Obama selects his cabinet we will “BEGIN to learn who he is.” So here’s a guy, a journalist, who is paid to find out who Obama is and then tell us. But after two years, he doesn’t know! And you don’t know. But you like the way he talks. That’s what you said.

Never saw the miniature before but if you’ll forgive me, it seems a bit arrogant itself. I mean, “If you want to help me, forget it. I don’t need or want your help.” Really?

But, yes, I do think “my liberation is bound up with yours” (if I understand what that means) so let’s work together.

Here is a story we can work on together. I pulled it off the ‘net. What do you think?

“The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third grade. The presidential election was heating up and some of the children showed an interest. I decided we would have an election for a class president. We would choose our nominees. They would make a campaign speech and the class would vote.

To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class members. We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students should have. We got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for the top spot.

The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were good kids. I thought Jamie might have an advantage because he got lots of parental support. I had never seen Olivia’s mother. The day arrived when they were to make their speeches. Jamie went first. He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place. He ended by promising to do his very best. Every one applauded. He sat down and Olivia came to the podium. Her speech was concise. She said, “If you will vote for me, I will give you ice cream.” She sat down. The class went wild. “Yes! Yes! We want ice cream.”

She surely would say more. She did not have to. A discussion followed. How did she plan to pay for the ice cream? She wasn’t sure. Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it. She didn’t know. The class really didn’t care. All they were thinking about was ice cream. Jamie was forgotten. Olivia won by a landslide.

Every time Barack Obama opens his mouth he offers ice cream, and fifty percent of America reacts like nine year olds. They want ice cream. The other fifty percent know they’re going to have to feed the cow.”
BroKen writes:
November 7th, 200811:55 amat

Arrogant? Me? I plead guilty. But I don’t think my comment expresses that arrogance. I’m sure some people voted rationally for Obama. You said you voted for him for “his ability to inspire” while admitting that you don’t know how he will use that ability.

You say, “So, will we find this in Obama? I don’t know. I hope so. But that’s what I voted for; that’s what I’m hoping for.”

You bought a pig in a poke. That’s not rational. It’s emotional. Am I arrogant for pointing that out?

This morning I was listening to NPR. A reporter said that as Obama selects his cabinet we will “begin to know who he is.” Here is a guy, a journalist, who is paid to find out who Obama is and tell us. But after two years he still doesn’t know. Neither do you. But you like the way he talks. That’s what you said.

I didn’t see the miniature poster, but it does seem arrogant itself. I mean, “If you want to help me, forget it. I don’t need or want your help.” Really?

But, yes, I do think my liberation “is bound up with yours.” (If I understand what that means.) So, let’s work together.

Here is a story we can work on. I pulled it off the ‘net. What do you think?

“The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third grade. The presidential election was heating up and some of the children showed an interest. I decided we would have an election for a class president. We would choose our nominees. They would make a campaign speech and the class would vote.

To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class members. We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students should have. We got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for the top spot.

The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were good kids. I thought Jamie might have an advantage because he got lots of parental support. I had never seen Olivia’s mother. The day arrived when they were to make their speeches. Jamie went first. He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place. He ended by promising to do his very best. Every one applauded. He sat down and Olivia came to the podium. Her speech was concise. She said, “If you will vote for me, I will give you ice cream.” She sat down. The class went wild. “Yes! Yes! We want ice cream.”

She surely would say more. She did not have to. A discussion followed. How did she plan to pay for the ice cream? She wasn’t sure. Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it. She didn’t know. The class really didn’t care. All they were thinking about was ice cream. Jamie was forgotten. Olivia won by a landslide.

Every time Barack Obama opens his mouth he offers ice cream, and fifty percent of America reacts like nine year olds. They want ice cream. The other fifty percent know they’re going to have to feed the cow.”
empowering leadership (synchroblog) « my contemplations writes:
November 8th, 20081:30 pmat

[…] Sonja Andrews – Leadership In An Age of Cholera […]
More Than Cake » Elders Lead A Healthy Family: The Future writes:
June 24th, 20096:59 pmat

[…] Sinja Andrews – Leadership In An Age of Cholera […]

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