I've talked about leadership around the edges, and even probably said that I feel like a leader who has never led. Certainly I have the capacity to lead, only the big issue is you need someone to follow you, and up until now, that hasn't happened (!) Maybe someday...But the Goddess Herself is a leader, so it doesn't surprise me that I added this word to the list all those years ago.
Because we are experiencing such interesting life lessons on this topic right now, I want to envision something totally different...just, if you will, for the fun of it.
Leadership in the coming paradigm will have a circular, horizontal quality. Individual communities will have "leaders", yes, but the power will be shared with the whole community in a way that is hard to describe or imagine right now. Because people will no longer be brought up with the concept of "power over", that kind of power won't even be seen as desirable. People will literally understand to the core of their beings the old fashioned "golden rule" -- "if I hold power over another person or other people, then other people will try to exert power over me, and I don't want that." Enlightened self-interest will guide a warmer, more embracing kind of power by those community members who embody wisdom and understand the values of the Goddess. And "power" will move easily, spontaneously and frequently from one person to another. People won't fight for power, or start wars for power, or punish for power, or hold hostages for power. Such actions will be unthinkable. Conflict will be unthinkable, because we will understand that we are all one. We will remember the early 2000's, and not want to return to this time.
There will be little tension between people and groups about ownership of earth's places and regions, simply because it will be understood that Earth owns herself. We will embrace a less human-centered form of stewardship, turning to the wisest ones when making plans for land use, and only using the land in such a way that growth is sustainable environmentally. The new paradigm priority will not be human "progress" such as we've experienced in our current paradigm -- it will be to facilitate the healing of Earth and all beings living on earth who have experienced so much trauma. This healing alone may take many, many generations. Economic forms such as money, stocks, trade, real estate, even bartering will probably not exist in the way we know them. Love will be the currency. I know this sounds ridiculous to most people, but I'm certain that is the direction we are heading in. The only way that human culture can live sustainably on the earth moving forward is by dealing directly, and lovingly, with one another, other life forms, and the planet itself.
Leaders won't always be women, but we women will start to understand how to use our unique qualities, strengths and perspectives, and find that they are more highly respected and honored as valid. In a less competitive world, the nuances and intuitive nature of our wisdom will be seen to "work" in a way that conflict no longer does. We will embrace completely new ways of problem-solving. Leaders (whoever they may be) will be centered in love, beauty and wisdom. They will be connected with the Goddess, and adept at bringing diverse people together in harmony.
I think women make natural leaders, but not in the old paradigm construct that is ebbing. This isn't about a woman becoming president. This is about women leading in the paradigm on the horizon, beyond presidents.
