Over lunch on the first day, another student and I invited our taxi driver to lunch. I was curious about getting to know him and asked what one hope of his was for the future. His response intrigued me. He shared that he hoped for good leadership. (As a side note, Ghana is in the midst of a contentious presidential election which will be determined in early December.) He believed that only with good leadership can Ghana continue to be a model and exemplar of democracy in Africa. I believe that is true. I also believe that his comments shed light on the leadership psyche throughout much of the world. That leadership is equated with power, position, and prestige. Only those in ‘positions-of-leadership’ can bring about desired change. I wonder what it would take for him to view himself as an empowered agent of change rather than relying on others? I wonder how we might shift our leadership frame to be more about the person (who am I?, what are my values?, and what is my vision?) and the purpose with which one leads (for personal and communal transformation)? I’ll certainly be processing this some more and look forward to similar conversations in the ports to come…
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