If you turn on the news, take a look at social media, or listen to conversations from those around you, you’ll likely notice the discord. It’s evident we’re in pretty turbulent times right now…with tensions running high. Our country seems to be on edge, and there’s divisiveness everywhere I look. Let’s be clear, I’m not going to make this a political post. To me, it doesn’t matter which “side” you’re on. What I am going to talk about is leadership, and how now, more than ever, we all need to be at our best.

Whether you know it or not, you’re a leader. It might not be in the workplace…it might be in a civic organization, on a sports team, in a Sunday school class, or in your own home. If you look up the definition of leadership in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it states this:

• A position as a leader of a group, organization, etc.
• The time when a person holds the position of leader
• The power or ability to lead other people

That last bullet point is important. To add on to that, I found this definition:

Leaders help themselves and others to do the right things. They set direction, build an inspiring vision, and create something new. Leadership is about mapping out where you need to go to “win” as a team or an organization; and it is dynamic, exciting, and inspiring.

Inspiring…what a great word. Right now, I’m challenging us all to be inspiring. I don’t know what that will mean to you, but to me I think it’s important we’re inclusive, civil, listen to and share ideas with one another, and try to find ways to align and reach common ground. If there’s anything I’ve learned recently, it’s that we have a great opportunity to re-evaluate the ways we lead and do so in a way that’s not divisive but rather beneficial for all.