NK&A’s take on leadership
How the NK&A team are striving for peace in the new year
At the start of this year we sent out an e-card wishing peace in the new year. At the end of the video we asked: “Who will lead us in peace in 2019? Will you be a leader?”
Leadership can be in the form of high visibility and assume great responsibility, it can also be something that happens in the moment or in small ways. As we embarked in 2019, we reflected on leadership in the first month of the year.
For Victoria it was following the lead of her daughter who encouraged Victoria to join her in the NYC Women’s March. Victoria’s daughter made signs and asked what message Victoria wanted for her sign. Victoria responded. “There will be many signs that want to encourage divisiveness, anger and an ‘us vs. them’ mentality. This does not change the discourse in our nation. Unity does.” So the signs were about unity. One read “I’m with her” the other: “Humankind – be both”.
After 3 generations under one roof shared a week-long volley of the flu, Eliza stepped forward seeing the need for recuperation and rejuvenation. After disinfecting her home, healing her family and herself, she constructed a long weekend trip to get the family away. She saw the need to acknowledge the “togetherness” that the flu-infested holidays brought was not what they needed to start the year off on the right foot. After a weekend in the mountains of Utah, they all feel refreshed, healthy, and ready to take on 2019.
Every year Dwight and his wife bake over two dozen coffee cakes and hand deliver them to friends, family and people in their community. They use the excuse of the (highly scrumptious) coffee cakes to take time to visit their community members, share a cup of coffee and stories, pass out hugs and spread cheer in what can be a stressful and lonely time for many. Dwight finds that the baking and working with his wife is a relaxing way to take time to connect and think about others. The delivery not only brightens Dwight and Suzanne’s spirits but also the cheer of many elderly and empty-nesting neighbors, friends and community members who are alone during the holidays.
What acts of leadership will you do in 2019? They can be big or small – we just hope you share them with us.
