Leadership Poem by Jim Yerman

I once read that leadership is less about your title and your designation
and more about your impact…your influence and your inspiration..

If you are looking for an example of true leadership…it's being displayed today for all the world see…in Ukraine by the words and actions of its president…Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

At his inaugural address in 2019 Zelenskyy famously said
I do not want my picture in your offices…
no president is an icon or an idol
Instead….
(Because this is the world that he envisions)
Hang your kids photos…and look at them each time you have to make decisions.

Despite his best efforts to avert this war and its suffering…the war and its suffering came…and I imagine, being a true leader, he will take more than his share of the blame….

And if he and his country survive, as I pray to God they do
I imagine he'll take a little less than his share of the credit too.

Because..when all is said and done…when the day is through….
taking more of the blame and less of the credit…
is what great leaders do.

When offered a chance to flee Russia's invasion…to escape his country's plight….he declined the offer, asking instead for more weapons…he was staying and he was going to fight.

I do not know what will happen…what final outcome we will see…
but either way I salute Volodymyr Zelenskyy for being the kind of leader….
I wish more leaders could be.

Today I stand with most of the world….
saddened, angry and appalled….
hoping soon Mr. Zelensky is back in his office
making decisions
with photos of his family…
hanging on his wall.