Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

We have plenty of people running around the planet criticizing, taking, crushing, and destroying. Many are so busy applying best practices, listening to the latest trends, reporting, analyzing which box or model we must adopt. We are fighting ourselves and each other to be the best at whatever we do, whatever we define success. And that is not sustainable. The cracks in all our systems are showing, but who will see them and act, instead of deepening the divides and pretending we are all happy?

Where are the next generation of architects of humanity who deeply care about how we create new systems that bring us back together? Where are our 21st century thinkers and conscious leaders? The ones who act and create with a new sense of courage that is aware of the need to bring greater purpose to our world. Where are the unsung heroes who are ok doing what they do by lifting others up?

We are facing a leadership crisis in every part of the world and we cannot stay silent any longer.

When one is grounded in reality, we see how human history repeats itself, over and over. We can no longer afford to pretend and support organizations that are destroying the planet and the human spirit. I, for one, am asking more of us to remember our bold voice and our power to speak out through our actions. And to find the others who want to architect and build. This is not a trend. This is not a dress rehearsal. This is reality calling us to truly change our mindsets to co-create beauty in our world and restore our personal and collective health.

We need to stop running from meeting to meeting to meeting and start architecting what we are creating and with whom, after we have clarity of why we are doing what we are doing. We need to stop crushing the competition and celebrating their demise. Every person who has been laid off was celebrated when they were a new hire. Each one of them has a life, a family, a community, a responsibility. We need to start seeing people as assets instead of liabilities on a financial spreadsheet.

Related: Creating Purposeful Experiences Is the Key to New Leadership

We need to fall in love with why we are here and who we want to design and implement our dreams and hopes with. We need to bring back ancient thinking we pushed to the side in our worship of progress. We are surrounded by abundance in so many ways and yet, so many are stuck in a scarcity mindset. We treat what is scarce with abundance, and what is abundant with a scarcity mindset.

I spend an immense amount of time listening to people--from young people who want to do good in the world and are stuck playing power games in jobs they do not find fulfilling to people hanging on to dear life in organizations that are not using their full potential and crushing them. Organizations spend more than 50% of their time fixing problems they create themselves. That is insane in so many ways.

Life is beautiful and messy. We experience happiness and sadness. We are the ones littering the earth, our minds and our bodies, And, we have the capacity, power and determination to change it all right now, right here. It takes us admitting what is happening to ourselves, spending time thinking clearly and not rushing. Nature does not rush. We are nature. We are not separated. We just assume all these things are happening to someone else. They are real, and it is our time to stop looking for heroes outside of ourselves. It is our time to act like no other time in history, because we are here. Because we matter.

Look around at what no longer serves you. Ask questions. Find your spark. Ignite yourself.

What else is there?

People keep telling me that what I am working on co-creating is big. Some even say it is too big. Some say my book is too long. Don’t I know short is the new black, they ask? I say it is all enough and for the architects of humanity, nothing is too big or too small when we take responsibility and accountability. We can choose what and how much we consume and create, when we are conscious and aware.

We may not make a ton of friends but is the point to be popular and perfect? What is the point if we are surrounded by people stuck in suffering. when we know so much is possible?

It is time for the conscious 21st century leaders to be bold and speak not just with words but with actions.

Take the time. Do not rush. Be conscious of the questions you are asking and be thoughtful in your answers.

Our world needs you. I need you. Please find your bold and beautiful voice and join us to architect the systems we need to enjoy a beautiful and simple life while we are here.

We don't need more heroes. We need you and every single pioneer to bring us back together, on the road to sanity .

That is what I learned by being surrounded by a group of conscious leaders in Nicaragua last week. Our world is crying for us to care and act in unity, not uniformity or conformity. We need to design the plans of what we want to experience and be grounded in reality, once again.

A pioneer is a person who sees how the world is changing and has the courage to break new ground and lead themselves and others to it. ~ Ayelet Baron and Andy Swindler

What small step are you ready to take?