Let's Lead.

As was predictable, this election season seems to have brought out the worst in many people - in particular many of the candidates running, the PACs that support them, the media that is itself both divided and heavily rewarded by division. The apocalyptic predictions seem to have reached an all-time high from both sides. I've read the mail, watched the ads. I'm well aware that voting for "the other side" will cause me to lose my freedoms, likely put my job at risk, endanger my family, and ultimately destroy our democracy. I just don't believe any of it.

If you're like me, you have friends, co-workers and family members on both sides of the political spectrum. You know intelligent, good, compassionate people on both sides; people that you care about and respect. And there's a reason for that. It's because, contrary to what we're told to believe, there are valid, insightful ideas on both sides. But believing that doesn't turn out voters.

Those who are most immersed in the political firestorm seem to see the most dire consequences from "the other side" winning. But this election day will come and go. And counter to what both sides might have us believe, our country will continue to persevere, grow, and evolve. Our democracy is resilient. It didn't cease to exist after the 2016 election; it didn’t end after the 2020 election either; and it won't end now. I understand the reason for hyperbole - political parties and mainstream media corporations depend upon it. But when it's over, we have to get on with building a civil society that we actually want to be a part of. And if our elected officials and the parties they represent won't lead it, we should.

So here's my challenge to all of us who want to live in a more human-centered, more inclusive, more united world. Let us be the voice that we want to hear in the world. When election day's over, regardless of which side wins, let's avoid predictions about the end of democracy and freedom; let's refrain from the threats to move to another country; let's avoid the calls for time off because people are triggered or traumatized; and certainly let's avoid the protests causing damage or destruction or threatening violence. In short, let's reduce the drama and get on with building a healthy society around us, one where people are actually curious and respectful of others' views and want to explore ideas in greater depth. Let's restore calm and reason in our own views and conversations. Let's expect more out of both ourselves and of others.

The reality is that most people are actually good people. The "other side" is neither extraordinarily evil and self-serving nor are they extraordinarily stupid. Believing that is neither rational nor real. It's a message that candidates, political parties, and media companies are served by. But the rest of us aren't. The reality is, regardless of which candidate we support, most of us care about many of the same things. We want safety for ourselves and our families; we want a healthy economy and good job opportunities; we want individual freedoms; we want a good system of education and healthcare; we want peace in the world; we want to live in a world that is sustainable and generative; we want equality; we want opportunities for all to thrive. We may disagree on how to achieve those things or the relative priorities of them; or on the consequences of certain choices or the balance of short-term vs. long-term investments. But these disagreements don't need to lead to hatred and angst, they need to lead to dialogue. Instead of disparaging "the other side" we can choose to learn from them; instead of continuous defensiveness and judgment, we can try curiosity.

Regardless of whether your candidate wins, there is an opportunity for all of us to be a voice of reason and civility, to lift up the goodness in humanity that is all around us, to invite in and embrace the viewpoints of others. We have the opportunity to help people see that humanity itself unites us, to see the best in others and to appreciate what they actually care about not simply deride their policy beliefs. We have the opportunity to help people see that our nation and our society and humanity itself are all in fact stronger than specific political ideologies.

We each are influential leaders in the worlds we live in - in our companies, our communities, our churches, our friend circles, our families. We have the opportunity to help shape perspectives in each of them; to bring people together, to create a united nation that sees the good in others and treats each other with respect, where people listen to each other, embrace each other, learn from each other. As leaders, let's be models of what we hope to see in those we vote for. Let's create the society we want for ourselves and for our families.? Let's lead.

"Points of Impact" is a publication expressing thoughts on how we might approach our work differently to have a better impact on others and the world. For more related perspectives, check out the book Impact with Love: Building Business for a Better World - now available on Audible!