Looking for a Few Good Leaders

The New Year is off running and so are a record number of people who are interested in one or more public offices.  It going to be interesting to see what unfolds in the coming months from the upcoming battle for votes, debates and town hall meetings, however one thing is clear, many of the contenders will not make the cut.  It is also going to be unclear if any of the incumbents or fresh faces to the political scene will be able to make a dent in the growing mountain of issues and social problems.  And that is where the greatest concern lies; who is equipped, knowledgeable and ready to take on the issues that are affecting most residents in the city of Milwaukee these days?

Milwaukee, like so many other metro cities in America is wrestling with a lot of issues that are affecting how the city operates, problems are handled and business is done.  The list is endless and includes aging infrastructure, century old housing, outdated water and sewage systems, and increasing levels of crime, lost sense of community, failing schools, vacant lots, empty buildings and food deserts.  Beside those things we all can point to a few other areas of concern, however, the one thing that I have noticed is that there is a big “void in community leadership.” 

I am not talking about leadership created because someone is running for some kind of paid public office, but real leadership that comes from the “grass root level.”  This is the kind of leadership that is not found by a title or the holder of an office; but the kind of leadership that comes from those who lives are directly affected by situations and who live in those communities where the problems are real and the solutions are few.  These are the places where leaders are “birthed into action” and take the lead to response to the crisis at hand.             

Today, there is a growing need for the development of “grass root leaders.”  These leaders are desperately needed to fill in the looming leadership gaps.  And with so many baby boomers becoming unable to take on the modern day challenges, the situation is becoming direr with each passing day.  It is true that leadership at times is without easy answers, but that comes with the territory.  And if you are looking at what I am seeing... these times require some new faces as well as some new ideas at all levels... but what do you see?