When I was as a child, I never thought that I would have the ability to lead a change effort, yet here I am imploring humanity to lead itself from the inside-out.
Back then, I didn't believe that I had the power to shift people's thinking about poverty, crime, violence, and most of all, how they viewed themselves. I never thought I had the skills, persona, or proper upbringing to lead others. Like much of humanity, I believed that a new leader would emerge and take charge. Therefore, I waited for our generation's Dr. King, John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, and Ghandi. Well, I waited and waited, while the problems around the world (such as poverty, hunger, racism, and genocide) that called for leadership were not getting the attention they deserved. You see, the problem with me, like with most of us is that we do not see ourselves as leaders, relegating us to waiting for the "one" who we think is. The problem is that while we wait, often times, the world's problems get worse.
So, who is the "one" you ask?
The "one" is that individual that we perceive to be a leader, who will step in and correct all of the world's ills and save us.
The "one" is that individual that we believe is larger than life and can move mountains with his/her charisma, intelligence, oratory skill, or cunning.
The "one" is that individual that can draw large groups of followers to support him/her in causes of concern to all of us.
The "one" is that individual that gets us into action, when we can't get into action on our own.
Crazy enough, it was not until recently that I realized that I am the "one," I mean, we all are. And while, we may not have all or any of the attributes that I just described, we all have a passion to take action on causes that we hold dear to our hearts. In my case, my passion for self-empowerment has led to my development of the attributes necessary for successfully leading others to addressing their causes.
We are all the "one," because we cannot continue to wait for the next coming of King or Ghandi.
We are all the "one," because the world's ills will not go away on their own.
We are all the "one," because if not us, then who?
The truth is that the responsibility to solve the world's ills resides in all of us. We all have the ability to lead others to take action(s) on causes that we hold dear. We all are versions of King and Ghandi, as they were versions of us. Get it through your head, we all are leaders and have the the ability to transform the world into a place that works for all of us.
With all of this in mind, when will you start moving mountains and embrace yourself as the "one"?
Dr. Barrett has an earned PhD in applied management and decision sciences, with a specialization in leadership and organizational change. He also holds a MS in organizational leadership and a BS in organizational management. In addition to these degrees, Dr. Barrett has completed several executive certificates focusing on various areas of management and leadership development.
Dr. Barrett is proud of his academic accomplishments, as they are the product of his long and sometimes difficult journey out of poverty. Along his journey, Dr. Barrett served honorably in the U.S. Air Force, participating in several vital overseas operations in the Middle East and Europe. He has also taught organizational leadership courses at the graduate degree level at Mercy College. This desire to develop leadership whether it be in myself or others is what drives Dr. Barrett. Dr. Barrett currently lives in NYC, where he runs The Barrett Center for Leadership Development, LLC ( http://www.TheBarrettCenter.com ) and produces The Barrett Leadership Blog ( www.TheBarrettCenter.blogspot.com )