After a few years, we spent our summer vacation again in British Columbia, driving for 12 hours each way.

On the first day of the trip, as soon as we passed Jasper for a few hours, the town and the surrounding areas were shut down due to forest fires. We never had a clue that in a few hours, the whole town will be smouldered in fire and smoke, including the wildlife.

We took a video of our passing from the Park Gate to the National Park. Now we reminisce the beauty and majesty of the place that will never look that way again. 

I salute the men and women who risked their lives protecting the village and habitat from more destruction. If you have donated to the Jasper rescue, there's more to be done now on rehabilitation. Please consider helping in the short and long term for our national treasure and one of the world's favourite tourism destinations.

On the way home, we decided to avoid the smokey trail to Alberta from BC by taking a long and extended route but safer, less hurried, and with more scenic vistas. With bad backs and cramped legs from the long trip, we can still not complain about what happened to Jasper. 

You can never appreciate what you have until it's gone forever or damaged to the extent that will never look or function the same way. Let's join hands to rebuild it.

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I was in a consultation meeting reviewing the latest Strategy document of an organization that I'm collaborating with when I discussed the importance of leadership development as one of the capacity strengthening priorities.

One of the consultants in the room, remarked that "some people don't want to become leaders in the organization." That it's not for everyone. 

So I reasoned out that, we need to be mindful of the barriers and disincentives of leading when in fact, the culture is not supportive and rewarding to become one.

I don't blame them.

Leaders get shot at first or fired.

They seldom get rewarded for what they did/doing/will do.

Often times, the organization has unrealistic/unachievable expectations of them.

There are many training, workshop, coaches, advisors, and audits to train anyone for a leadership role since high school, but a genuine self-assessment is a dime and a dozen.

They eat last (Sinek) but more than that, they don't eat until the rest of the team eats.

They are alone/solitary in their decision-making and personal development.

It takes a whole amount of vulnerability, commitment to continuing learning and improvement, regular receipt of useful feedback and self-sacrifices and self-abandonment to become a leader.

Yes, I agree, some would be great supervisors, managers, and directors without invoking to become leaders in the process.

But I doubt, that being a supervisor or manager, will cut it in these modern and complex organizations we find ourselves now. Emergent models of business, structure, delivery, operational efficiencies, among others require not just great managers but a more enlightened, empathetic, and 'just-right' amount of leadership too.

In my book: Provocateurs, I talked how well-meaning, intentional leaders can make a huge impact by being grounded about who they are and their willingness to share themselves with others. They lead from within themselves through their passion, purpose, provision, practice, and paradigms. 

In my opinion, this is a "Permission to Lead" situation. Managers must be permitted to lead by those they are closely working with and also permit themselves to become one.

We have in our generation, the capacity riches (gazillion of tools and know-how), rationale, and wherewithal to become effective leaders. 

Our ancestors who had less in life, who fought in World War 1 and 2 and other wars stepped up as leaders, even without much preparation, tools, or even choice. They just did it. 

We have a choice to lead and it doesn't mean the top position/role in a company/organization/community.

We can lead in our families, neighborhood, and anywhere where we can influence.

It's a golden opportunity to grow and become a better human in the process.

Take it with open arms. 

We all have influence and yet some of us refuse to exert influence when it's important that we do so.

I have been in conversations with a prospective client who was just wanting to be heard and not sold.

By listening to what exactly was not being said, I offered to help out in their curriculum development of a course that was missing in their program.

I got an instant project.

The theme of my  short seminar for the year, became lo and behold, the theme of the annual graduation ceremony and culminating research convocation.

I'm very happy that it turned out well for them.

There are ways by just speaking out, (not complaining or blaming) for an issue or a concern, will create opportunities for others to speak out or move in that direction.

I was at a meeting one day. The chair of the meeting told us, "You're lucky you have a job. While others are being laid off, you have a paycheque every quarter." I said, "We are lucky that we have good jobs. We are here to ensure that everyone of us have a great working experience every time we come to the office." Heads nodding. 

Another meeting where Christian pastors asked: "What is this diversity project with the municipality all about? I responded that it's for building connections between the East and West side of our community and everything in between. Well, the rumors didn't match the reality. 

Recently I had a conversation with a Board Director for an interview to a Board position at a regional service organization. Mutually, we have arrived at a decision that I should defer my application after a few years when the organization had stabilized in its operation.

I also added that, "The way the current Board is doing all the work of organizational development is untenable. No self-respecting Board Member should carry all the work that the Executive Director should be able to perform." Silence.

You are influential to your family members, friends, and colleagues.

You are influential to your boss, supervisors, and managers.

You are influential to your service providers, your doctors, lawyers, staff, and the whole suppliers that you work with. They want to get your feedback, opinion in ways they can improve.

You are influential to your spheres of community. 

Don't cede your influence to an arbitrary set of ideologies, rules, and dogmas.

Don't be intimidated by the largeness of the room, the initials to the name, or the social media following, or anything exterior or externalized. 

Don't be the silent majority that takes the beating for everyone else and gets all the suffering.

Don't try to please people and be obsequious.

The opportunity to influence for good is always available, matter of fact, ubiquitous. 

Don't you see that I'm trying to influence you?

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