If you were asked what the three major dangers to life as we know it today are, what would you say? Lack of energy supply? Inflation and housing affordability? Natural disasters? Yes, these are definitely problems we read about on a daily basis.
Yet, the results of countless studies conducted by major universities and leadership organizations have revealed that the lack of effective leadership is one of the major problems facing our society, ranking only behind the ongoing threat of nuclear warfare and inadequate food supplies for many.
Good, effective leadership is a scarce commodity, according to our nation’s business leaders. Companies and organizations constantly post ads searching for men and women with leadership abilities. When I talk to CEOs and executives, they lament that they cannot find individuals who want to step up and take the responsibility to lead.
Each year, voters struggle over the decision of who should lead our country, states and communities. Many are asked to assume leadership roles in all areas of our society, but few appear to do so in a really effective manner.
What can be done to fill this leadership vacuum in our world today? One step is to look at leaders, both past and present, who have demonstrated effective leadership and to learn from them. We can examine leaders from Napoleon and Alexander the Great to Abraham Lincoln and Mother Teresa. All had unique leadership skills. None were alike.
This is why I have dedicated a large portion of my adult life to leading, understanding leaders and, most recently, creating leadership programs that address this serious dearth of leadership.
Working with the University of Texas, I have two current programs that are having an impact, and we have the numbers and anecdotal evidence to show we are making a difference.
The first is “Women Who Mean Business,” a program created to address the serious decline in female leadership, especially during the COVID pandemic. As we embark on our seventh cohort, this program has consistently maintained a 98% Net Promoter Score, rated by the participants themselves. In a short time, we’ve watched 46% of participants experience significant career advancement. Placements in this program fill quickly, but we still have availability in our next cohort, which begins this fall. The application deadline of August 1 is quickly approaching. Please share this opportunity with a rising star businesswoman or apply yourself, so we can all benefit from our graduates’ success.
The second program is “Texas Trailblazers,” designed to reach undergraduate male and female students. The point is to encourage them to accept and embrace a lifetime of leadership. In only our second year, we’re already seeing these bright young leaders excelling.
If I can make one small dent in the crisis, then I will call the work a victory.
Leading by example,
Gay Gaddis
Founder. Author. Artist. Trailblazer.
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