The Future is Unwritten
I started listening to punk in high school. Growing up in Mexico, this type of music wasn’t as popular or easily accessible as it is now with music streaming. In my early twenties, once I became fluent in English, I began to understand the lyrics from bands like The Dead Kennedys, The Clash, and Bad Religion. These bands shaped my perspective on the world—ideas about rebellion, questioning authority, and challenging the status quo, along with books and films that resonated with similar ideas. When I think about leadership, I associate it with power, which triggers a visceral reaction due to the connotations these influences evoke. At the same time, I understand how the world operates—I work for a large corporation, I vote, I pay my taxes, and I want to learn how leadership, specifically creative leadership, can have a positive impact on the way I operate within the world, working to make it a better place for us and for future generations.
Through the readings in Resurgence magazine, I explored different viewpoints on leadership, from the more corporate-focused take in “One Package Leaders” to Noah's biblical leadership. Some ideas felt more relevant than others, yet many remain timeless and applicable. The most compelling article, in my opinion, was “From Hero to Host” by Margaret Wheatley and Deborah Frieze.
This article’s key takeaway is that no single person can change a system composed of countless small, local actions. It encourages us to move beyond the “hero” leader and embrace the concept of the “host” leader—someone who admits they don’t have all the answers and creates a space where others can participate and contribute ideas. This theme of shared leadership is echoed throughout the reading, emphasizing that leadership is not a solitary endeavor but a collaborative one. However, I don’t entirely agree with the notion of the “leader as host.” While it opens the floor to others, it still places significant power and responsibility on one person. You are, after all, entering their space and adhering to their rules. I believe authentic leadership should be open to challenge and scrutiny, always focused on the greater good, even at the expense of personal gain or advantage.
The concept of indeterminacy, discussed in the readings, can help define what creative leadership looks like—constantly shifting and evolving to meet the world's changing needs. We cannot rigidly define leadership because it must be shaped by the context it serves. Perhaps this involves severing the connection between business and leadership and returning it to the community. Leadership should challenge our system, pushing it to evolve into something that represents the voices of many, not just the few.
