Cracks in the Curtain: Lessons from 1989

Thoughts after reading the story of the man who led "The Velvet Revolution" of 1989.

The more I understand the year 1989, the more I realize how inattentive I was to the history made in the days of my youth.

Yes, it was the year Taylor Swift was born (I didn’t realize this until much later, of course). It’s also the year we got married. On our wedding night, Renee’ and I watched the young Chinese student standing in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square. That happened on June 3. The Iron Curtain tumbled in slow motion for the rest of the year. Countries across Eastern Europe and Asia stood for freedom and democracy. Light seeped through the cracks.

Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything, That’s how the light gets in. — Leonard Cohen

One of the least discussed but most interesting cracks in the curtain happened in Prague. One of my favorite cities in the world was also an epicenter of global upheaval, closing out 1989.

The Velvet Revolution

On November 16, 1989, hundreds of high school and college students in the city of Bratislava (a city in modern-day Slovakia) refused to go to class, calling for the end of single-party, communist rule. Within a week, the movement spread nationwide. Theatres and schools shut down, and students led massive peaceful demonstrations culminating in Wenceslas Square, Prague.

Less than one month later, on December 10, 1989, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia stepped aside, and the former president swore in a government not dominated by the Communist Party.

On December 29, Václav Havel was elected president. The speed of change was breathtaking. Not a shot was fired. No one died. Playwright and first post-communist president, Václav Havel, catalyzed this revolution.

Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good. — Václav Havel

Most leaders use their position and power to protect themselves. A few use their position to empower others. These are generative leaders. That was Václav Havel. His biography is a guidebook for generative leadership.

Here are three things I’m learning while considering Havel’s life:

1. Art and politics will be (and should be) forever intertwined.

I often hear people lament this marriage. On many Wednesday nights, my wife and I visit a local food market to play “Music Bingo.” The aim is to fill your bingo card with recognizable song titles as the DJ plays 30-second clips. It’s a fun night out. This past summer, we were playing at a community table when the song Basket Case by Green Day played. I had the tune on all four of my cards and quipped, “Thank you, Green Day.” A man at the table replied, “Yeah, I liked them before they got political.” I bit my tongue. Dude. Who do you think was the target of American Idiot?

Art is inherently political. Havel wrote plays, articles, essays, and books. In doing so, he told stories about the human struggle for freedom. Havel was friends with an underground Czech rock band called Plastic People of the Universe. The band members and Havel were all, at some point, political prisoners under the authoritarian Czech government. Be it Dali, Da Vinci, The Beatles, Kurt Vonnegut, or Taylor Swift — art and politics walk together. Art and creativity are a means and a voice for human flourishing. Havel was a playwright before he was a politician. His words and stories sparked a revolution.

2. Generative leadership leverages power for collective action.

Havel was not alone. He used his words and stories to inspire collective action—not knowing the outcome. Violence against people was possible. Demonstrations might fail. But Havel chose to empower people by showing them their own power. This is exactly how leadership should function.

Power is the ability to empower. Give others the ability to take collective action for the greater good. Properly used power creates opportunities for the community—for the common good.

This is the opposite of lust for power and doing whatever it takes to keep it. Fear of losing power and control often fuels violence. This is why Havel and other were imprisoned and labeled “enemies of the State.”

The Velvet Revolution and the fall of the Iron Curtain was a unique revolution in this sense. While much bloodshed marked this region's history, when the dominoes fell in Eastern Europe in 1989, the revolution was mostly bloodless, Romania being the exception. Leaders like Havel sought to empower people for collective action—something rare and beautiful. The revolution happened quickly and without violence.

3. Moral courage is a nonnegotiable asset for generative leaders.

In 1976, the Czech government arrested members of Plastic People of the Universe. This moment was a turning point for Havel. He and his fellow dissidents drafted Charter 77. Havel was one of the first signatories. The document was secretly distributed in Czechoslovakia and, ultimately, reached international media, exposing the regime’s abuses. It was at that point Havel became “an enemy of the state” while Charter 77 emboldened the dissidents. The rallying cry sounded. The dominoes were set. The cracks in the curtain had started. Thirteen years later, the light shined through.

But for those 13 years, Havel faced the consequences of his moral choices, including a prison sentence that destroyed his health and nearly took his life.

Yet, his leadership inspired a generation to believe in the possibility of a free and just society.

Havel was no saint. He smoked and drank heavily, and he certainly enjoyed the company of women.

But he exemplifies the kind of leadership we need more of in 2025.

Look at the systems around you. Where do you see the cracks? How will you bring the light?

You are doing better than you think.

I write an every Sunday-ish essay over on Substack containing bits and bobs of what I’m reading, writing, watching, thinking, and experimenting with this week. It’s always free. Subscribe for the most recent essay.

I am a consultant, coach, and trainer with Growability? Consulting, specializing in non-profit, cross-cultural business, and leadership. Check out the Growability? Podcast at all your favorite podcast places. Would you like help with tools for managing your organization, team, time, and projects? Connect with me. Let's grab coffee. (Virtual or IRL!)

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