Leadership, it seems, really does begin at home
If ever there’s been a crisis of leadership in America, we’re living it. We’re old enough to recall the deep partisan divisions—and leadership flaws—that hamstrung the presidencies of Richard Nixon and, quite a bit later, Bill Clinton. Come to think of it, deep divisions weren’t exactly foreign to Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan or Bush I & II.
And maybe this is early-onset fogeyism starting to set in, but this particular time—both unusual and historic—seems to surpass any of those eras in terms of its bitterness and bile. Not in our lifetimes can we recall a greater need for a truly unifying national presence.
That, perhaps, is why this month’s issue of Ingram’s takes on a special relevance, with its extensive focus on regional leadership and on our emerging young leaders. The annual 40 Under Forty feature, in fact, is one of our favorite editorial projects every year. Why? Because it weaves a new thread into the tapestry of this community’s business leadership every April. And, like spring itself, it arrives with the promise of hope.
Without taking anything away from the many excellent leadership programs this community boasts, we like to think that Ingram’s 40 Under Forty program represents a special group of accomplished folks each year. They are not exactly ordinary people, mind you, but they are people who have already performed extraordinary things. Ours is not a leadership program, per se, but a recognition of those who, by their actions in their organizations, industries and associations or as volunteer civic servants, represent the gold standard of what it means to be engaged as part of a broader community.
Substantially all of our 440 40 Under Forty alumni from the previous 11 classes have lived out the promise that made them easy selections for those honors. In only a few cases, has that promise yet to fully bloom. Nonetheless, you can’t flip through the pages of past Forties editions without seeing faces that dominate this region’s business, political, educational and non-profit sectors today.
So it is, we hope, with this year’s class, because they are part of this region’s best hope for improving our collective local lot and that of the next wave of Kansas Citians, especially given where we are from the national perspective.
Each political party in this country has its good points, and plenty that aren’t so good. What we’re seeing now, however, is the absence of true leadership from either major party. In particular, the current administration seems to be displaying the antithesis of leadership, with a consequences-be-damned approach that disregards the national will on issue after issue. It is contributing to an erosion of confidence and a public policy meltdown in Washington—and damned or not, the consequences at the voting booth in November will likely prove historic.
The voters may offer something in the way of instruction for the winning candidates this fall, but changing horses in the middle of this stream does not make a leader; it just means new keisters in the seats of power. Even if one party is shown the door this fall, someone else is going to have to demonstrate true leadership to show us the way out.
But all politics, as Tip O’Neill used to say, is local. Which brings us back to this year’s group of 40 Under Forty, and to the leadership of the area’s broader business community.
Maybe we’re not looking in the right place when we talk about the need for leaders. Maybe, like Dorothy’s ruby red slippers, they’ve been with us all the time, and we just need to summon them. So here’s a challenge to anyone in a position to influence the next generation of leaders: Establish your own organizational leadership program, if you haven’t already. Do more, invest more to help promote, expand and sustain the leadership infrastructure we’ve already built, with the wealth of leadership programs—civic, municipal and academic—that this region has to offer.
Our reach from Kansas City can’t knock much sense into many heads in Washington. But we’re more than capable of solving a lot of what’s wrong ourselves. A little more leadership will go a long way toward doing that. Let’s unify regional leadership and establish a strategy for Missouri and Kansas to mutually benefit from aligning our interests, for starters. 
Joe Sweeney
Editor-In-Chief & Publisher
Sweeney@IngramsOnLine.com