“The merit badges people collect are not relevant to leadership.” – Tucker Carlson on the Megyn Kelly Show, Ep. 167
I heard this quote from Tucker on a recent Megyn Kelly podcast and it struck me as instantly true.
As I scan the world right now and see who holds positions of power in business, politics, and cultural institutions, I see leaders, and I do use the term quite lightly here, who are pedigreed and credentialed. They have the right university ties, and the additional degrees from prestigious organizations, and a history of moving up the ranks. They have the accolades and awards handed out to them by their peers. They attend Met galas, party on Martha’s Vineyard, and gather together in Aspen and Davos.
Do these badges truly signify competence? Do the they merely signify wealth and connections? Do they confer strategic insight and flawless execution?
It seems to me that our leaders collect badges that they themselves have created for themselves in order to build their reputation among their small peer set and not so as to gain the skills, awareness, or insight required for them to serve. Think, for example, of the hilarity of Twitter’s “blue-check marked” chattering class.
The True Signifiers of Leadership Today
More important to me, however, do these “merit badges” signify that a leader exhibits the qualities that truly ARE relevant to leadership today?
Do they have a deep connection to self, to God, to others, and to nature?
Do these leaders have:
- Soul – a connection to their inner nature and an awareness of how they show up
- Vision – a desire that they have for the future of themselves, their families, and society overall
- Virtue – a way of communicating that inspires and highlights the universal character traits of the virtues
- Integrity – an internal compass that has them operating in alignment with their beliefs and values
- Intention – a deliberate co-creation of the future in collaboration with others
Do these leaders have, what I call “Soul Excellence”?
For me, it feels so clear that we are moving into a future world where a leader’s beliefs, thoughts, and energy are paramount for what that leader can call forth in working with others to create.
How do you give out “merit badges” for the inner work? Today it may look like sharing that one has attended a Tony Robbins retreat or that one has a daily meditation practice. This may be a good start! But it’s so much more than that.
I believe it is in creating the daily internal spaciousness and being open to receive inspiration from a higher source of guidance where the true visionaries and leaders of our time will focus.
Many of our leaders are operating in damage control mode, trying to shore up their own power, influence, and financial resources before the world that they have created collapses underneath them. You have heard of the many Silicon Valley leaders who have built their own bunkers, haven’t you?!
But the leaders that are recognizing the truth of the moment, the truth that through every person’s vibration and energy we are co-creating our future, and are doing their part to stay peaceful, clear-eyed, and optimistic – these are the ones whose voices, ideas, and inspiration must be allowed to ripple through the society.
The Mission of Soul Excellence
This is why the mission of Soul Excellence Publishing is so important to me. I desire to amplify the voices of unconventional, courageous leaders whose insight may otherwise be censored by the big publishers who are focused on keeping the status quo alive.
We are working with leaders in business and society who have deep expertise in their fields, and have also gone on their own inner journey of transformation – enabling them to bring a deeper level of integrity and insight to their visions for the future.
Soul Excellence Leadership is about turning inward, aligning to truth, and being of service in the world. It’s about being unafraid to share the truth – both the universal and personal ones.
This is the future of conscious leadership.
When more people are tapped into their internal leadership power, we will be able to connect more intimately, create innovative solutions, and cultivate a free, flourishing society.