Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.
-Karen Kaiser Clark
I've been asked why none of my leadership thoughts focus on politics. The first reason is because I don't want my thoughts to be accidently confused with a Milwaukee Urban League Young Professional endorsement. The second reason is because these thoughts are a personal leadership journey I invite you to participate with me. But in the spirit of change, lets talk about it. Every candidate has the word 'change' in their campaign literature. All of them boast of being able to ingite it and sustain it. All of them declare that change is necessary and we will be the better for it. Neither the slogan nor the change speeches impress me. Ms. Clark's words echo loudly during this election season. No single candidate can claim to be the best to spark something that will naturally happen anyway. I'm more interested in growth since this is indeed a choice and more importantly what we need. All of us adapt to change whether it be a new house, new job, or new school. Since change is inevitable, why do politicians preach to it? Growth in this context is more of the mental, spiritual, and emotional state; not necessarily the physical. My mind, spirit, and soul will suffer if I'm allowed to believe that change is actually the choice I have to make rather than growth.
My challenge to you this week is to listen. Listen to yourself, your family, your friends, and I suppose your soon to be elected officials, for growth. Examine if you have sacrificed your own growth by erroneously believing that you have a choice in change. Yes leadership is about the ability to influence change but don't think for one second it wouldn't happen anyway. Perhaps the change will result in increasingly poor performance. As undersirable an outcome that may be, it is nonetheless a change. Spend some time this week listening. Has your circle of influence changed over the years but hasn't really grown? Does your professional team seem to want to change processes without demonstrating how growth will actually take place? If the answer is yes, then step up and be a leader. Begin to inject growth into the conversations. Your family, friends, and yes our country, will be the wiser for it. That's real leadership and that's what we need. Let's leave the politricks to everyone else.
Alonzo Kelly
President
Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals
