LeaderShift

1. America needs a new generation of citizen-leaders to overcome declining freedom

"We need a nation of citizens who are leaders."

Declining freedom: America is experiencing a loss of freedom due to increasing government power, debt, and regulation. This decline is largely caused by citizens becoming disengaged from the governing process.

The 10 percent solution: Approximately 10% of citizens, or about 14 million Americans, need to become actively engaged in overseeing and influencing government to reverse this trend. These citizen-leaders should come from all walks of life, including:

• Business leaders
• Parents
• Educators
• Professionals
• Community organizers

Historical precedent: The Founding Fathers envisioned a system where citizens would be actively involved in governance, particularly at the local level. Restoring this level of engagement is crucial for preserving freedom and prosperity.

2. The Five Laws of Decline explain societal and organizational deterioration

"If we just neglect them, they will work like acid on metal, slowly corroding and eventually eating away the noblest organizations."

Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crud. In leadership, this means only 10% of people in leadership positions are truly effective.

The Five Laws of Decline:

1. Sturgeon's Law (90/10 principle)
2. Bastiat's Law (tendency towards plunder)
3. Gresham's Law (bad money drives out good)
4. Law of Diminishing Returns
5. Law of Inertia

Application: These laws explain how organizations and societies deteriorate over time. Understanding and actively countering these laws is essential for maintaining freedom and prosperity in a nation.

3. Top leaders excel in character, task, and relationship leadership

"True leaders must lead their own character, they must effectively lead tasks and projects, and they must be excellent in leading other people."

Three dimensions of leadership:

1. Character leadership: Personal integrity and values
2. Task leadership: Ability to accomplish goals and projects
3. Relationship leadership: Skill in working with and inspiring others

The 1 in 1000 principle: Truly exceptional leaders who excel in all three dimensions occur at a rate of about 1 in 1000 people. These are the leaders most capable of driving significant change.

Developing leadership: While natural talent plays a role, these leadership skills can be developed through education, experience, and deliberate practice. Encouraging more citizens to cultivate these skills is crucial for societal improvement.

4. A "LeaderShift" is occurring, requiring business leaders to engage in citizenship

"As go the business leaders, so goes America. That's your key to making this work."

LeaderShift defined: A fundamental change in who society looks to for leadership and what is expected of those leaders.

Historical LeaderShifts:

• Warriors to landowners
• Landowners to professionals (doctors, lawyers)
• Professionals to executives/managers
• Managers to leaders

Current LeaderShift: Business leaders are now expected to engage in active citizenship and take responsibility for societal well-being, not just their own organizations.

Why business leaders: They have the skills, resources, and influence to drive significant change. Their engagement is crucial for overcoming societal inertia and resistance to reform.

5. Local government reform can reinvigorate citizen participation

"When the people stop doing this, in any free nation, freedom begins to erode."

Historical context: The Founding Fathers assumed an active local government system where citizens regularly participated in town meetings and decision-making.

Loss of engagement: Over time, this system of local engagement has eroded, leading to a disconnect between citizens and governance.

Proposed solution: Revitalizing local government structures to encourage regular citizen participation. This includes:

• Monthly town meetings
• Locally elected mayors and officials
• Direct citizen voting on local issues
• Weighted voting systems to encourage engagement

Benefits: Increased local engagement leads to more informed citizens, better oversight of state and federal government, and a stronger foundation for national democracy.

6. The "Nine Resolves" amendment aims to decentralize power and increase civic engagement

"The operating principle of the masses, as articulated by Lord Acton, is that power corrupts. In contrast, the operating directive of the upper crust is that it is the nature of power to centralize..."

Key elements of the Nine Resolves:

1. Establish townships of 800-1200 voting citizens
2. Monthly town meetings with direct democracy
3. Locally elected mayors and officials
4. Restructured state and federal representation
5. Limits on government spending and debt
6. Gold standard for currency
7. Simplified tax system
8. Open government meetings
9. Higher threshold for constitutional amendments

Goals:

• Decentralize power from federal to state and local levels
• Increase citizen participation in governance
• Reduce government spending and debt
• Increase transparency in government operations

Expected outcomes: A more engaged citizenry, reduced corruption, and a reinvigoration of democratic principles at all levels of government.

7. Overcoming resistance from established power structures is crucial for reform

"Finally, a worthy opponent. At least a few should come along every generation, but it's been sparse lately."

Sources of resistance:

• Established political parties
• Large corporations benefiting from current system
• Government bureaucracies
• Media conglomerates
• Academic institutions supporting status quo

Strategies for overcoming resistance:

• Building a broad, bipartisan coalition
• Educating citizens on the benefits of reform
• Leveraging social media and grassroots organizing
• Engaging business leaders as champions for change
• Appealing to citizens' desire for increased freedom and prosperity

Long-term vision: Recognize that significant reform is a generational project. Persistence, adaptability, and continuous engagement of new citizen-leaders are crucial for success.

Last updated: November 7, 2024