Green Shoots: Uncertainty is where leadership begins — not where it ends

Leadership begins in uncertainty, not at its end, according to a recent article. Embracing the unknown and not knowing has become a companion in the author's recent years. Instead of setting deadlines for new constitutions, the organization allowed space for discovery and exploration of possibilities. This approach to leadership enables creativity, authenticity, and reduces the need for performative behavior.

It requires courage to forego the comfort of certainty and knowing, but the comedian John Cleese suggests that creativity is strengthened when staying in the discomfort of not knowing for a little longer. Leadership is about showing the way to something different and improving lives, practice, and politics. It is about having substance and mettle, not just being in a position due to education, social status, or political trajectory.

Good leadership enables an improved coexistence and does not resemble the rabid leadership of megalomaniacal leaders. To lead is to see beyond the present and embrace the creative power of rejecting certainty. Good leadership requires a value system rooted in humanism and a love for humanity and the earth. Nurturing relationships takes time and commitment, and a questioning attitude replaces uncritical acceptance.

Bad leadership is evident in various aspects of life, such as politicizing anti-migrant sentiment, sidelining innovators, and reiterating trauma in children. The article calls for servant leadership, urging people to strive for kindness, vision, compassion, diligence, and inspiration in their spaces, making time for both rest and hard work.