Blinkers Are Not Optional

A great deal of public attention has recently focused on the actions of people in leadership positions. Unfortunately, much of this attention has spotlighted negative leadership. The public trust in politicians is at near historic lows. Is it any wonder that the more often people hear about local, national, and global news, the less they trust their leaders? In so many ways, at a time when the need for effective leadership has grown, effective leadership has deteriorated and needs to be fixed. Too often we are finding that the leaders we have do not possess or demonstrate traits and skills that we need them to have. As a result, until we change our expectations and behaviors in this regard, we will continue to hire and elect individuals to leadership positions who are quite like what we have now―largely ineffective. This book argues for a different path for the leaders of tomorrow. It looks at the state of leaders in this country and around the world, replaces old leadership questions with new ones, and offers a new paradigm from which to search for and find the leadership we need for the future.

A great deal of public attention has recently focused on the actions of people in leadership positions. Unfortunately, much of this attention has spotlighted negative leadership. The public trust in politicians is at near historic lows. Is it any wonder that the more often people hear about local, national, and global news, the less they trust their leaders? In so many ways, at a time when the need for effective leadership has grown, effective leadership has deteriorated and needs to be fixed. Too often we are finding that the leaders we have do not possess or demonstrate traits and skills that we need them to have. As a result, until we change our expectations and behaviors in this regard, we will continue to hire and elect individuals to leadership positions who are quite like what we have now―largely ineffective. This book argues for a different path for the leaders of tomorrow. It looks at the state of leaders in this country and around the world, replaces old leadership questions with new ones, and offers a new paradigm from which to search for and find the leadership we need for the future.

Dr. David Milstone worked in higher education for four decades, most recently serving as the chief student affairs officer responsible for student development, leadership, and support offices at a large New England university. He has served as a Dean of Students at three colleges and universities, taught academic classes on Leadership Theory, Civic Engagement, and Social Justice, and has been a leadership development consultant and conference presenter throughout the United States. Dr. Milstone has served on university assessment and accreditation teams across New England and abroad, chaired community boards, and is a certified community mediator. He earned a bachelor's degree in education, a master's degree in counseling, and a doctorate in educational leadership, and lives in Massachusetts.