It's Complicated
Dale’s weekly digital commentary on current events and life through the lens of leadership. Here is a sampling of recent commentaries:
Watching the (Real) News of the Economic World
Follow the Money. That was a catchphrase originated in an old (1976) movie, “All the President’s Men”. There are currently some interesting things happening in the world of global economics that are even more interesting to watch. In this Commentary I want to stop and talk about what is currently unfolding, or may soon be about to unfold, with respect to the world of money and financial markets. In many ways, we are all being distracted by all that political theatre and superficial news reporting. Meanwhile, as we follow all that money, there are some profound consequences - and potentially imminent impacts - that are just under the radar and seldom even noticed or thought about.
Redefining Our Politics
Did you know that there are two kinds of Conservatives? They are either your “Uncles” or your “Antis” (I prefer to spell them this way). Our good old “Uncle Conservatives” were pros. They were pro globalism, and for free and fair trade (remember Mulroney and Reagan?). They were pro humanism, pro secular and advocated for a Human Bill of Rights (remember Diefenbaker?). They were pro Enterprise and pro Innovation (remember when I once served as Deputy Minister in a department by both those names?). And do you remember when George W. Bush used to call himself “a Compassionate Conservative”?
It Takes a Village
You’ve probably heard the expression, “It takes a Village to raise a child.” This week I would like to seize this expression and amplify it even further. My thesis is that, in fact, “It takes a village to make a healthy village.” In other words, my message is that community voluntarism and fund raising is essential to the overall wellbeing of a society, no matter where you live. This is called living in a Civil Society – where non-profit organizations and charities are delivering invaluable services every day, as a “third column” or middle way in addition to both the public and the private sector. In many ways, these community groups and agencies are, in fact, the glue that makes it all work.
Palaces for the People
I just finished reading a great book, written by a very thoughtful guy by the name of Eric Klineberg. It was called, “Palaces for the People.” How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life.” The title of this book really says it all. It prompted a lot of strategic thinking about the power and importance of INCLUSION to make healthier and stronger communities. The premises are simple. People are a lot nicer to each other – and except and understand each other more – when they find more opportunities to mix and be closer to each other. In other words, it is harder to hate or to stereotype or to objectify other people when we are all “up close and personal.”
Here's a Good Tip for Better Mental Health: Write It Down
Last week I “pretended” to deliver an imaginary Convocation Address to a mythical Class of 2025. This week, I will continue to use my imagination, and pretend that I am your friendly, neighbourhood Mental Health Counsellor. I would like to pass on a tip for helping to find clarity and thoughtful reflection in your life, and to help sort out a daily avalanche of so many competing and bombarding thoughts and emotions. Just write it down.
Calling All Canadians – What is Your "Relationship" With Our Country?
July 1st is just around the corner. It marks the 158th Birthday of our country of Canada. While listening to my car radio last week, I came across a talk show (Evan Bray on RAWLCO Radio) asking listeners to rate - on a scale of 1-10 - how they viewed their relationship with Canada. I thought it was an interesting way to gauge public opinion. Callers to this radio program had either a “love” or a “hate/deep disappointment” relationship to our larger country. There were few ambiguous or middle-ground rankings. Abut half expressed their connection to Canada as a prideful “8, 9, or 10.” But an equal or even slightly bigger half expressed an extremely low “1, 2, or 3 score” to rate their connections to Canada on that 10-part scale. Many of the callers went on to further say that they were “Western Canadians” FIRST and only saw themselves as “Canadians” SECOND. And in the same breath, some went on to declare that they were even pro-separation or pro-independence. More than just a few Callers went on to express a wish to see “the West” become its own country.
We Should All Be Grateful for "Good Ancestors"
When I was a little kid, polio was one of the most dreaded diseases hitting our small city of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Around the time I was born, polio had killed or paralyzed about a half million people worldwide, every year. Then in 1955, after a decade of painstaking experiments, Dr. Jonas Salk and his team developed the first effective and safe polio vaccine. It was rolled out quickly by the late 50’s, and I vividly remember my dad taking my little brother and I to a local health clinic to get the shot as soon as possible.