President’s Message by Jeanna Harris
*Disclaimer: This is not a critique or attack but a reflection of my thoughts and experience.
In 2018, I was promoted into a nursing management position and I came to the realization that being a manager at work is very different than being an organizer in the community. I found myself needing more guidance than what was provided to me. I needed a mentor but didn’t know who to reach out to. That’s how I found Brené Brown’s book Dare to Lead. I highly recommend this book to anyone in any type of leadership role. I think it should be a mandated course, because this book will make you dig inside yourself so that you can show up for those who turn to you for leadership. As I witness our political leadership do the complete opposite of what I learned, I asked myself, what is missing and why? And what can be done about it?
In Dare to Lead, daring leadership is defined as having the courage to be vulnerable, live with integrity, and build trust through empathy and authenticity. These traits are missing from today’s political landscape, where fear-based decision-making, self-preservation, and party loyalty take priority over real, bold leadership. Without daring leadership, politics has become more about division and power plays than about serving the People.
It is the courage to be vulnerable that is the foundation to daring leadership. But many in high level leadership positions, especially politicians, see vulnerability as a weakness. Instead of owning up to mistakes or admitting when they don’t have all the answers, they double down, deflect blame, and avoid tough conversations. There’s A LOT of tough conversations that need to happen before we can move forward.
Empathy seems to be the most lacking quality in political leadership. Instead of actually listening to different perspectives and working toward solutions, politicians often use divisive rhetoric that creates more problems than it solves. This emotional disconnect keeps important issues like healthcare, climate change, and social justice from being addressed in meaningful ways. This lack of authenticity and transparency makes people distrust the system and disengage from politics altogether. The perpetual shame and blame strategy has turned a crack into an abyss inside and outside the Democratic Party, especially with younger people, who are the energy catalysts of the grassroots. This is why Bernie Sanders gained so much popularity in 2016. He made me feel heard and seen. I didn’t care that he hadn’t been a lifelong Democrat. I cared that he cared about me and the issues I saw going unaddressed each election cycle despite being promised time and time again.
If we want to rebuild trust in politics, leaders need to step up and practice daring leadership or have the courage to know when they should step aside so a daring leader may rise up. That means being honest, making decisions based on values, rather than making them for personal gain. And it means actually listening to the people they represent. True leadership isn’t about hoarding power, it’s about serving others. A daring leader will speak up for what is right even if that means they may lose favor among the powerful. Until political leaders embrace these ideas, the gap between them and the public will keep growing, more elections will be lost, and making real change will be impossible.
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown is available at all bookstores but I encourage you to visit the Village Well in Culver City if you wish to purchase a copy. It’s also a podcast series on Spotify.