Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Leadership

With 349 Electoral College votes (as of noon on November 5, 2008), Barack Obama is the President-Elect of the United States of America. Let that sink in. Take some time with it. Bathe in the warm afterglow of knowing that the USA is not the worst country in the world, and might in fact be one of the greatest, again.

But, don't stay in the tub too long, my friends, we have ten times the work ahead of us now, and wrinkly skin won't help.

To that end, I am again putting my Idea Firehose hat back on and challenging anyone within shouting distance to join me in that work. What work? This work:

1. Recognize that it was absolutely proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that grassroots community organizing can directly change the very world. You can take down your yard signs now, but keep your names on those progressive list-servs and think about volunteering even more after the election than before. I'm personally fired up and ready for 2012. Maybe you might think about starting your own community organization.

2. Fulfill the promise of the campaign and the truth of deep progressive creed that says "This is not a black America or a white America, this is the United States of America". By that I mean that 46% of the USA did *not* vote for Obama, and those people deserve the same things that the 52% of us asked for: Health Care, Financial Solvency, Renewable Energy, Less Waste and Debt, More Jobs, More Peace, and a healthy dose of HOPE. The work will be to include the 46% in our 100%, to reach out a hand and work together like a neighborhood recovering from a hurricane. We're all literally in this together.

3. Get back to work on yourself, and your family. Yes, YOU. The deep work we need to accomplish cannot come from your solitary martyrdom. Barack worked out in the gym the morning of November 4th. He also worked out at the gym *this* morning, despite apparently needing to immediately pick his entire cabinet and lay out every single plan he has for the next 4-8 years. He brought his family with him on the campaign trail, and kept them close to him. Leadership is not simply telling people what to do, it's staying true to yourself and your family, doing the heavy internal lifting required to pull you through in hard times. These are still hard times, without a doubt, and you will need to truly know and love yourself to be of use as we work to change this world.

4. Walk your Talk: better yet, put your muscle where your mouth is. You call yourself Progressive? Prove it. Drop your energy consumption. Drastically reduce your waste. Reach out to your neighbors. Volunteer and keep volunteering. Grow some of your own organic food or herbs. Hire other progressives. Take fewer flights. The more we do as we say, the more progress we'll make.

Today I'm recommitting myeslf to develop my own leadership potential with an eye on those four major work areas. I'm committing to ongoing progressive alignment of my values and my actions. I'm committing to a focus on excellence in my company, Campbell Energy, bringing the message and game-plan of energy conservation and efficiency to everyone I meet. There's a lot of great challenging work to do, and I'm excited and inspired by this election (and my own part in it) to get out and do that very work.

If you'd like to join me in this struggle, I'd welcome your energy, ideas, and challenges and I will give you back all that you offer and more. That's what the IdeaFirehose and Campbell Energy and Aaron Campbell are all about, giving back and making offers of myself so that others will join me and do the same. Honestly, I don't expect many people to join me initially, since we all have our own dreams and challenges to work on, but I would like to offer you the opportunity to do those things with me. Whether that means as a friend or a colleague or mentor or student, I want to engage more deeply than ever before.

Have an idea for an organization that might need my help? Send it on. Want to join one of mine? give a shout. See an idea on the Idea Firehose that you think you'd like to move forward on? I'll brainstorm with you to get it out there. Have a friend who you think would be a great Senator? Introduce me. Want to franchise my company? Want me to help you franchise yours? Let's sit down and talk business. Need a public speaker at your next deep green event? Hand me the microphone. Got a harebrained scheme you want to bandy about? Holler back. Let's just make sure we don't spin our wheels in the mud when there's a winch on the truck down the street, know what I mean?

Here's how to connect to me online:

I blog: http://ideafirehose.blogspot.com

I am on Twitter: http://twitter.com/alphacampbell

I am on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/glowplug

I am a Stumbler: http://alphabeta.stumbleupon.com/

I actually read books: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/campbellenergy

I'm a Washington Fuse Progressive: http://www.fusewashington.org/page/community/blog/aaroncampbell

You might also see me in the physical world at the Northwest Eco-Building Guild meetings, or Meetup group Seattle Renewables, or walking the Meadowbrook Pond with my daughter.

I'm actually fired up, and quite ready to go. Thanks Barack.

--Aaron