I had a revelation in the SOM class yesterday, an outgrow of the paper we just did, but also I think the stabilization of a conception that's been percolating for awhile (influenced significantly by Stephen's rhetoric class, in addition to other, longer-term inputs). One of my hesitations with seeking serious leadership roles has been a concern for wielding power responsibly; an aspect of this has been the sense that its not enough to just criticize what's "wrong" with something, one must be able to suggest solutions too.
Yet, it seems ridiculous to me that anyone can realistically say what they will do - for instance, in all the election talk - until they actually get there (both into the role and into the future situation). What seems more honest is to be clear about the kind of processes I would use in order to reach decisions about solutions. There doesn't seem to be any room for this kind of talk in the current "times" - there are all the issues of media coverage/access, producing soundbites, and accommodating or somehow "meeting" audience desires...
Raz has invited me to give a persuasive speech to his public speaking class come November....I am tempted, and a bit shy. It's mulling around; we'll see if I can pull it together.
