The Haitian Earthquake: A Leadership Opportunity

By Kevin Eikenberry

I don’t need to post of picture of the description, and don’t need to flex my admittedly limited journalistic muscles to try to explain the size and scope of the devastation. If you have seen any news in the last 48 hours you know it is bad. Really bad!

And from what I have read, it is going to get worse long before it gets better. In my mind there are many leadership opportunities available to all of us in the wake of this horrific natural diaster.

We will certainly have the opportunity to, through the news media, observe leadership in action. We will see it from a politic, national and interantional level. We will see it in the stories about the relief agencies. We will read of leadership shown by “ordinary” citizens. Citizens like you and me.

If you believe, as I do, that leadership isn’t as much about a title or position, as it is about taking action, then you will see many more opportunities for leadership beyond passively oberving through the media. Here are a few examples. You could . . .

• Organize a fund raiser within your organization, community, group, neighborhood or family.
• Use your twitter account to be better informed and share opportunities to help with others.
• Find an organization that is on the ground in Haiti and see how you – and those you lead can help.
• Donate your money.
• Donate your time and talents.
• This is a high level list, and intentionally isn’t that long. The ideas I have are just ideas. The ideas that matter more are yours, and those of your team.

Perhaps you are saying, “Kevin, I don’t have a team, or I only supervise one person.” To which I would respond, leadership is action, not position. Take an idea, take leadership, create a vision and people will follow!

If you want to make a difference. If you want to practice your leadership skills. If you want to do both at the same time, think about the challenge I am issuing to you, and be a leader! The skills you practice will help you in every future leadership opportunity of your life. And, at the same time, you will be making a positive difference in the world. Make no mistake, the ideas I listed are forms of leadership. So are the 15 ideas you have floating in your head right now.

Here is your chance. Now is your time. To lead!