Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

Ken Hammer, former Vancouver Island University Faculty of Management member is wondering “where have all the leaders gone?” Ken gave a presentation and led a discussion about this question at a recent presentation sponsored by the Research and Scholarly Activity office at VIU.

In 2015 Ken attended an International Leadership Association Conference in Barcelona where one of the speakers challenged the audience to solve three of the world’s main challenges when it comes to leadership: greed, anger and hatred and ignorance. For the rest of the Conference Ken looked for the answers to these challenges and has been pondering this question ever since.
Ken has been teaching about leadership since 1982 and is a founder of Leadership Vancouver Island.

He wonders why these problems are still so prevalent when there are so many leadership programs the world over. Ken strongly feels that we have to start with youth leadership development and that opportunities like scouting and guides, boys and girls clubs that teach and promote leadership skills need to be more universally accessible.

Ken said that youth leadership needs to be value based, have lots of opportunity for ‘learning by doing’, should empower individuals gifts and talents, should be focused on collaboration and should value civility, citizenship, kindness and giving. Ken is currently working with the Brechin Elementary School youth leaders on a partnership program with a school in Africa, via skype, so that the kids can learn about what a week of life looks like for kids from another country. “The kids from Africa are amazed that the kids here get to skateboard and play video games after school instead of household chores and vice versa”, said Ken.

And then youth leadership needs to continue into adulthood. It needs to be practiced, reflected upon, and relationships need to be built on collaboration and caring. “And while leadership is important it’s only half the story”, said Ken, “followership is also critical”.

Ken concluded his presentation with a reminder that any solutions need to start with ourselves. His top five tips for becoming better leaders includes:

1. getting over ourselves;
2. understanding the reality of others and responding in ways that appreciate and nurture them;
3. being courageous and challenging our fears;
4. to become better followers and finally
5. to come from a place a love or what Ken refers to as getting our daily requirements of Vitamin L. 

Ken Hammer has recently redirected from his role as a faculty member in the Faculty of Management at VIU so he can explore these and other important life questions. He continues to do work in the local and international communities through Startup Nanaimo, Ken Hammer & Associates, Nanaimo Daybreak Rotary and the Brong Ahafo Research and Extension Centre in Ghana.