We are hitting a massive, subterranean shift. This isn’t the kind of “disruption” that gets a catchy name in a trend report or a dedicated slide at a conference. It’s the more heavy-duty kind—the one you only start to feel when you’ve been watching leaders long enough.
There is something undeniably energizing about outrage. You can feel it in the body almost immediately. Certainty sharpens. The line between right and wrong seems to clarify. Someone must be called out.
One of the most common conversations I have when meeting with a new client revolves around accountability. Someone will confide, “We need more of it.” And then, almost in the same breath, they start describing just how hard it actually is to practice.
Paying attention is part of responsible leadership. But not all attention strengthens our capacity to lead. I don’t like how quickly my attention can drift toward the spectacle.