CONNECT THE DOTS

We've changed from a "top-down" society to a "networked society", but our organizations haven't. In too many places, we're still operating with a top-down leadership style - government, political parties, non-profits, unions, you-name-it. We need to get better at organizing ourselves without top-down organizations. It's critical for democracy. Give me a few minutes.

Today's technology does not help us come together to build the world we want and need. And that's okay - that's not what it was designed for. That's why we're building Powerline. For people's power - the tech we need, for the world we need. Learn more: http://bitly.com/2auRsKM

Whether it's in the workplace, in a non-profit, or in your town, people need space to come together, discuss their common challenges and different perspectives, and innovate. Digital and physical, it's critical for our future. Otherwise, incremental progress will not be fast enough for us to make a meaningful impact for the world we want and need.

The US style of top-down leadership needs to shift thanks to our now-emerged networked society. So, how can leaders take the first step to be more effective in this new era? Leaders need to provide space for people to link, learn, share perspective, and act together on their common issues, challenges, and opportunities. Ignoring this mandate is a recipe for growing the gap between leaders and communities.

There's a tremendous amount of instability in the system. Instability that will not be solved by either Clinton or Trump in the next couple of years. We have to stop the "us vs. them" approach to politics - so how do we do this? We have to purposely and patiently take the time to understand the other side and "get into the hole" with them. We have to realize that our perspective of the problem (and solution) is no more important than any one else's. All perspectives are always valid, even if they are based on flawed logic or data. We have to understand each other's perspectives to better understand our systemic problems so that we can get behind more systemic solutions.

Why are we stuck in gridlock in Congress and in our national body politic? Simply because tend to pick sides before we seek to understand our common problems and the multitude of perspectives that are associated with those problems. We must stop this "our-team-vs-their-team" mentality that is creating division and failing us in our efforts to make progress on our common struggles.

We are facing an extraordinary amount of uncertainty and instability right now. Regardless of who we elect in November here in the US, we should expect things to get worse before they get better. We are in transition - from an old system to a new one. As leaders, we need to focus on identifying and understanding all of our interconnected underlying problems before we push forth any solutions.

What can Brexit tell us about how we can be better leaders? The disconnect between leaders and citizens has shocked a global economy, but could we see a dramatic event like this unfold in the United States? Yes, if we don't learn our lessons from our friends across the pond.

Our world is very complex - it's made of systems upon systems. But how can we think about multiple perspectives in parallel? How can we visualize systems? The key is to think of the relationships between different objects rather than objects themselves. We can use a spider web with imaginary weights on it to illustrate this. Give me a few minutes.

Are we building the future we want and need for ourselves and our kids? Or are we creating more problems with every "solution" that we deliver? Let's reflect on the connection between Innovation and Inequality. Give me a few minutes.