“Leaders are a catalyst for the evolution of humankind.” ~ Anne Perschel, Leadership Coach & Evolutionist
What Evolutionary Leaders Do
I have always believed this quote represents the aspirations of true leaders. It was only recently, however, that I decided to call them Evolutionary Leaders as a way to distinguish them from those who occupy leadership roles and borrow the leader title.
Evolutionary leaders instill in us the belief that we can do things we never imagined. They provide us with the inspiration to do what we dream but consider out of reach. They present us with a picture of what’s possible. They help us see a vision of a possible self who can achieve those things. Evolutionary leaders prevent our dreams from being forever locked in potential reality. Just as potential energy is stored within an object until the object moves, potential reality is locked within us until someone, the evolutionary leader in this case, moves us to activate it. To manifest our idea in the real world.
Evolutionary leaders are catalysts. On their own, they could not, and do not, achieve things they inspire many individuals and groups to do. Evolutionary leaders marshal and focus the enabling resources – be they educational programs, technologies, or something else.
Who and Where They Are
Evolutionary leaders are everywhere, but for the purposes of illustration, we’ll talk about the more well-known among us.
John F. Kennedy led the people of the United States to put a man on the moon and bring him back safely. He inspired generations of educators and learners to excel at math and science. This enabled us to achieve the man on the moon goal. Because of Kennedy’s leadership, we’ve exceeded the boundaries of scientific and mathematical thinking over and over and over again. This expansion of knowledge has yielded new discoveries in our exploration of space, advances in medicine, and more. It will continue to do so for generations to come.
Steve Jobs, Apple’s founder, provided access and ease of use to once complex technologies. We, the common people, use these technologies to create applications that are changing the world. Jobs inspired people. He demanded excellence. He marshaled resources. The tools his inspiration brought to the world, are being used by millions of people to invent what didn’t exist before. What didn’t exist before, but now does, will be used to create what doesn’t exist yet. And so on and so forth, the evolution of humankind.
Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that we might evolve to become a nation of people who recognize and respect each others humanity. We are still working to achieve that dream.
Margaret Sanger and Catherine McCormick wanted to give women choices about having children.They led the charge to create the birth control bill, in the face of much opposition. The pill, in turn, transformed societal roles, expectations and structures. Women were liberated to contribute to society in different ways. Society benefits and the benefits multiply.
Are You an Evolutionary Leader?
If so, I want to know of your dream for humankind. Will you tell me? I want to know that you dare to speak your dream aloud. Will you speak it? I want to see that you are brave and humble and bold enough to wake that dream into being. Will you wake it? Will you be it? If so, I want to help you make it real. Because I can. Because together we might nudge forward the evolution of humankind.