| Are our candidates disconnected from the | | | | leadership style" requires three things: |
| American people? Do you think George Bush | | | | 1.Continuous self assessments asking, "Am I |
| knows how much a bus pass costs? When was | | | | connected to the American people? If not, what |
| the last time you think Bush pulled out an | | | | can I do to reconnect with the American |
| envelope full of coupons to save a few bucks at | | | | people?You cannot be honest with yourself until |
| the grocery store? Does he even know what a | | | | you are honest with the American people. Are |
| grocery store is? I do not want to bash the | | | | you personally aware of my struggle or just |
| President. But what I want to do is explain why | | | | aware of my struggle through statisticians? |
| so many of our national politicians aren't ready to | | | | 2.Create diverse ideological cabinet/team. You |
| tackle the everyday problems the average | | | | want someone who will disagree with you |
| American faces - simply because they have no | | | | respectfully. Healthy dialogue is the birthplace of |
| idea what they are. | | | | creativity. The phenomenon of group think |
| During my Illinois mayoral campaign this year, I | | | | creates unhealthy and disconnected policy. |
| held seven town hall meetings with topics ranging | | | | 3.In addition to ideological diversity, maintain fluid |
| from improving education to accessing the | | | | teams to ensure you have the best possible |
| healthcare system. Two trends stood out to me | | | | people during the life cycles of your public |
| as I listened to the American people. First, I talked | | | | leadership. This means change is necessary. |
| to people who had not voted in twenty years | | | | Stagnation breeds nothing but death. |
| because they felt like they did not have anyone | | | | We have a responsibility to our children and to the |
| for whom to vote. These Americans felt | | | | future of America to move pass name |
| voiceless in this local democratic system. | | | | recognition generated by family legacy and wealth |
| This sense of hopelessness and voicelessness | | | | as the determining factors in our choices if we |
| caused me to reflect on what would cause a | | | | even decide to make a choice see and as a result |
| person not to exercise the right to vote for | | | | of disconnection and frustration. Many have |
| twenty years given the fact that Americans gave | | | | walked away from the democratic process and |
| their lives for the right to vote. I quickly concluded | | | | continue to walk away from the process in |
| that it must be more than apathy as described | | | | frustration or even worst did not feel invited into |
| by many people. As I continued talking to people | | | | the process by the hypocrisy we now see. A last |
| during my seven town hall meetings and on the | | | | name does not make you a president and wealth |
| campaign trail, I concluded that the reason for | | | | does not prove to me of your ability to lead the |
| what we call apathy is actually disconnection. | | | | country. It means you are a fundraiser. |
| American citizens are disconnected from the | | | | Yes, the presidential candidates are disconnected |
| democratic process because our leaders are | | | | from the American people? However, there are |
| disconnected from the American people. | | | | degrees of disconnection. The candidates do not |
| The second trend I observed during my | | | | have the same degree of disconnection from the |
| campaigns was the citizens' inability to see the | | | | American People. In response to what I heard |
| connections between local, regional and national | | | | from the America people as a two time mayoral |
| elections. The local leaders of today become the | | | | candidate, I have developed a tool to begin to |
| national leaders of tomorrow. If they are | | | | evaluate how connected our leadership is to the |
| disconnected from the people today, what can | | | | American people. I call this evaluation tool, the |
| we expect tomorrow? The American people | | | | "Ten Degrees of Disconnection." The "Ten |
| have a responsibilityto ensure that this does not | | | | Degrees of Disconnection" is a ten question litmus |
| continue. We have been too passive. It should not | | | | test. The ten questions are available at the virtual |
| take an electoral crisis to bring people out to the | | | | town hall meeting website. |
| polls. A crisis usually means something of value | | | | In response to this disconnection, I have also |
| has already been lost. We can and must be more | | | | launched a virtual town hall meeting to share with |
| proactive with the future of our nation. | | | | you what I see and to hear from you about your |
| Disconnection does not eliminate men and women | | | | experience so we can support each other in |
| with sincere desires to serve in a servant leader | | | | making stand in our individual neighborhoods and |
| capacity but it means two things. First, it means | | | | communities and to make a national stand in our |
| that we have to challenge each of them to | | | | nation. Log onto the virtual website to reserve |
| reconnect. Second, disconnection requires what I | | | | your virtual seat for the next national discussion. |
| call an "intentional leadership style "An "intentional | | | | |