PDF Summary:Corruptible, by Brian Klaas

In Corruptible, author Brian Klaas examines the origins of power structures and hierarchies within human civilization. Through rigorous analysis, the book suggests that our innate drive to seek authority is shaped by complex evolutionary, psychological, and environmental factors.

Drawing on research from diverse fields, the summary explores the far-reaching ramifications of power, both positive and negative. It delves into the essential role of robust institutions and systematic checks in managing abuses of authority. Moreover, it offers strategies to identify ethical leaders who prioritize service over personal gain, fostering better governance for all members of society.

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Finally, Klaas underscores the significance of meticulous scrutiny, or the lack thereof, when evaluating those who hold authoritative roles. Misconduct frequently remains unaddressed when there are no observers or if the individual's position enables them to skillfully evade scrutiny. For example, people working in the banking industry who misappropriate small amounts of money frequently go unnoticed and persist in their wrongdoing undetected, particularly when compared to Bernie Madoff's colossal $64 billion scam. Many individuals often present themselves more favorably than their true nature. People holding authoritative roles are subject to more intense observation, heightening the likelihood that any wrongdoing they commit will be exposed.

Context

• This refers to a psychological bias where individuals in power may feel invincible or immune to consequences, leading them to take risks or engage in unethical behavior without fear of repercussions. This mindset can distort their perception of right and wrong.
• The structure and accountability mechanisms within institutions can either mitigate or exacerbate the potential for corruption. Systems with strong checks and balances are less likely to see power lead to corruption compared to those with weak oversight.
• The idea that power corrupts is often traced back to Lord Acton, a 19th-century British historian, who famously said, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This quote reflects the belief that as individuals gain more power, their moral compass can become compromised.
• Observations of corrupt leaders may be more visible because they are the ones who remain in power, while ethical leaders may be ousted or overlooked, skewing perceptions.
• In times of crisis, such as natural disasters or conflicts, leaders must make rapid decisions that may involve sacrificing certain ethical standards to achieve a more significant, immediate benefit, such as saving lives or maintaining order.
• Historical contexts and precedents can influence decision-making, where past actions set a standard that current leaders feel compelled to follow, even if those actions are ethically questionable.
• Deceptive behavior can be a part of human nature, influenced by various psychological and social factors. People may learn to deceive as a survival mechanism or as a way to navigate complex social environments.
• By engaging in seemingly irrational actions, autocrats can create an environment of unpredictability, which can intimidate opponents and keep the populace in a state of confusion or fear, making it harder for opposition to organize.
• The perception of what is acceptable behavior can vary widely depending on social and cultural contexts. In some cultures, certain actions might be seen as corrupt, while in others, they might be considered normal or even necessary for success.
• This idea aligns with opportunity theory, which suggests that crime is more likely to occur when there are more opportunities to commit it. The theory posits that the presence of opportunities can influence individuals to engage in unethical behavior, regardless of their inherent morality.
• Public vigilance and the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can pressure authorities to act ethically. Citizen activism and watchdog groups often play a role in monitoring power.
• Individuals in authoritative positions often attract significant media attention and public interest, which increases the likelihood of their actions being scrutinized and any misconduct being reported.

The way those in power behave is significantly influenced by the structure and monitoring of the institutions they operate within.

To attract individuals with stronger moral principles and a reduced inclination toward corrupt behavior, it is beneficial to adopt approaches that focus on careful recruitment, thorough vetting, and consistent rotation of staff.

Klaas suggests that the design of institutions plays a crucial role in minimizing the likelihood that individuals inclined toward corruption will rise to power. In certain isolated regions of Alaska, the entire police department may consist of people who have previously been on the wrong side of the law, a circumstance that can be attributed to inadequate background checks and a limited pool of candidates. Klaas recommends that organizations broaden their talent acquisition strategies. "Deepening," as Klaas elucidates, leads to a broader spectrum of candidates whose skills and backgrounds mirror the existing makeup of the organization. The environment cultivates a competitive spirit crucial for attracting individuals with exceptional skills, and it facilitates a thorough and discerning selection mechanism to pinpoint the most outstanding and intellectually advanced candidates. Expanding the selection criteria, however, leads to a wider variety of candidates, which can offer even more benefits. Klaas suggests that strategies aimed at drawing in women and minority groups, akin to the methods employed by the law enforcement agency in New Zealand, create a virtuous cycle where greater diversity promotes further participation and applications from these communities, resulting in higher recruitment figures and inspiring more people from these backgrounds to consider a career in this field. Organizations gain advantages by promoting diversity in their leadership, which serves as a counterbalance to the frequent inclination of selecting leaders that mirror our personal traits, as highlighted by Klaas.

To prevent an undue accumulation of power within an organization, Klaas suggests rotating personnel more regularly. When a team works closely together for a long time, their solid bonds can result in an environment where everyone is aware of the wrongdoing, but it remains undisclosed, thus hiding the unfair benefits from those outside the group. A situation was uncovered in which a member of the NYPD had hidden eleven kilograms of cocaine inside the washing machine at his home. His misconduct remained unnoticed for an unsettling duration due to his employment within a compartmentalized division that was steeped in a tradition of dishonest practices. The scheme remains undetected until scrutiny comes from an external observer.

Practical Tips

• You can enhance your personal integrity by volunteering for positions that require background checks and accountability measures. By seeking out roles in your community or workplace that necessitate a clean record and ethical behavior, you're not only proving your own integrity but also surrounding yourself with others who value honesty. For example, becoming a treasurer for a local nonprofit will involve financial scrutiny and foster a culture of transparency around you.
• You can evaluate the governance structures of organizations you're involved with by reviewing their charters or bylaws for checks and balances. Look for clear descriptions of roles, responsibilities, and processes for holding leaders accountable. If you're part of a local club, for example, check if there's a process for members to vote on important decisions or if there's a term limit for leadership positions to prevent power consolidation.
• You can enhance your hiring process by creating a candidate scoring system that evaluates more than just experience and qualifications. Develop a simple spreadsheet where you score candidates on various attributes such as problem-solving skills, integrity, and teamwork. Assign weights to these attributes based on their importance to the role and calculate a total score for each candidate. This method helps you consider a broader range of factors and reduces the risk of hiring based on incomplete information.
• Partner with a friend from a different field to exchange resumes and job search strategies. This cross-pollination of ideas can introduce you to new ways of presenting your skills and uncovering job opportunities that you might not have considered. Your friend might point out transferable skills you've overlooked or suggest unconventional roles that could benefit from your expertise.
• Develop a competitive edge in your professional life by initiating a peer challenge group among friends or colleagues. This group would set regular challenges related to career advancement, such as obtaining a new certification or learning a new skill, and then hold each other accountable. This not only fosters a competitive spirit but also encourages continuous personal development, similar to how deepening recruitment efforts push candidates to be their best.
• Implement a blind recruitment process to minimize unconscious bias. Remove names, photos, and other identifying information from resumes and applications before reviewing them. This encourages a focus on the candidates' skills and experiences rather than their background or identity, potentially leading to a more diverse selection of candidates for interviews.
• Start a book club or discussion group focused on works by women and minority authors. This not only broadens your own perspectives but also signals to others your commitment to diversity. You could coordinate with local libraries or bookstores to set up a monthly meeting where these authors' works are read and celebrated.
• Create a personal "diversity board" of advisors composed of friends or acquaintances from various backgrounds. Regularly consult with them on decisions or viewpoints to gain a broader perspective. This could be as simple as having a monthly coffee with someone from a different department at work or a different cultural background to discuss current events or industry trends.
• Start a cross-training initiative among team members to enhance versatility and reduce dependency on any single person. Encourage each team member to train at least one other person in their critical tasks, ensuring that there's always someone ready to step in if needed, which can prevent power from becoming too concentrated.
• Rotate team members across different projects or departments periodically. This strategy can prevent the formation of overly tight-knit groups that might protect each other at the expense of ethical conduct. By introducing fresh perspectives regularly, you can foster a culture of accountability and transparency.
• Implement a blind suggestion system for project ideas where contributors' identities are concealed. This strategy allows ideas to be evaluated on their merit alone, without the influence of who proposed them. You could use an online form where all submissions are anonymized before being reviewed by the team. This could lead to the discovery of innovative ideas that might otherwise be overshadowed by those from more prominent group members.
• Start a peer-review initiative where you and your colleagues voluntarily review each other's work for inconsistencies or ethical lapses. This could be as simple as having a trusted coworker look over your reports or decisions to ensure they align with company values and legal standards. It's like having a proofreader for ethical conduct, which can help catch misconduct that might otherwise go unnoticed.
• Create a feedback box for anonymous suggestions in your workplace or community organization. Encourage people to provide honest feedback about processes, behaviors, or systems they believe could be problematic. Anonymity can often lead to more candid responses. For example, in a workplace setting, employees might be more willing to point out inefficiencies or unethical practices if they know their identity will be protected.

Implementing systematic safeguards, such as unpredictable supervision and transparency, is effective in preventing and identifying the misuse of power.

Klaas suggests that the use of randomness could be an effective strategy in combating corruption. Klaas emphasizes the democratic structure of ancient Athens, noting that important decisions were made through a process where citizens were chosen at random to take part in consultative gatherings. The use of sortition in ancient civilizations reduced corruption as influencing a large group selected by chance, consisting of 787 members, is considerably more difficult than affecting a smaller gathering. Klaas proposes the creation of citizen councils, composed of randomly chosen individuals, to offer advice on important policy issues, thereby guaranteeing that those susceptible to corrupt practices and who hold influential roles are held accountable to a broader cross-section of the community. Corporations can establish advisory panels consisting of randomly chosen employees from the operational level to provide input on company management matters. This ensures that leaders and company heads remain aware that their choices have impacts on actual individuals, not merely figures in a financial statement.

Transparency serves as an additional crucial mechanism to prevent corruption. Brian Klaas highlights the work of investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who, through his undercover work, exposes corrupt activities within Ghana. Anas utilizes intricate costumes that allow him to blend in perfectly with the environment, facilitating the elicitation of confessions related to immoral conduct and illicit dealings. Anas's techniques for exposing the wrongdoing of top officials show that tackling corruption at the upper echelons frequently results in enhanced ethical conduct across the entire organization. Upon the removal of the serpents' chief, Klaas notes a tendency for the rest to display diminished serpent-like tendencies.

Practical Tips

• Start a book club or discussion group where the next book or topic is chosen at random from a list compiled by all members. This method ensures that everyone has an equal chance of their interests being represented, fostering a sense of fairness and reducing the potential for groupthink or dominance by more vocal members.
• Encourage fair play in games and sports by using a lottery system to form teams. When playing recreational sports or board games, instead of letting the most competitive players pick their teams, use a random method to assign players to teams. This can make the game more enjoyable for everyone by balancing skill levels and preventing the same alliances from dominating play.
• Organize a book club or discussion group focused on governance and anti-corruption, using fictional stories or historical accounts as a springboard for conversation. This approach can help demystify the concepts and make them more relatable, fostering a culture of accountability among participants without requiring expert knowledge.
• Create a peer recognition program that highlights employees who contribute constructive feedback on management practices. This program can be as simple as a "Wall of Fame" in the office or a shout-out in the company newsletter, incentivizing employees to share their insights and feel valued for their input.
• Create a "transparency pact" with a friend or colleague where you mutually agree to share certain decisions or financial information. This practice can help build trust and provide a model for how transparency can function in a larger context. For instance, you might agree to disclose any gifts or favors received related to your work or shared projects.
• Encourage transparency in decision-making processes within groups you're part of, such as community organizations or volunteer groups. By advocating for clear and open communication about decisions and actions, you contribute to creating an environment where corrupt behavior is less likely to be tolerated or go unnoticed.

Authority's impact on both mental and physical states.

Rising to a position of leadership and wielding power over others can result in physical and mental changes that might negatively impact an individual's well-being.

Klaas suggests that the effects of power reach further than just psychological influence. They may also have physiological aspects. Klaas emphasizes intriguing results from research exploring the unique physical and psychological characteristics of macaques, demonstrating a correlation between their status within their societal structure and an increased likelihood of cocaine dependency among those with lower standing. Furthermore, the quantity of brain receptors that regulate dopamine, which are essential for building resilience and warding off addiction, diminishes. The well-being of subordinate macaques deteriorates, resulting in longer recovery times for wounds and hastened aging symptoms, when they experience stress.

The author, Brian Klaas, examines the findings of the comprehensive Whitehall II Study, conducted within the framework of the British government's bureaucratic structure. The investigation has led to major advancements. The study shows that in the British civil service, which is known for its fairness, a person's position in society greatly affects their health outcomes. The relationship linking authority and personal welfare is complex, eluding simplification to a basic formula where those with the greatest control consistently encounter minimal tension and possess the best health. The Whitehall II Study demonstrates that the well-being of employees is most negatively affected at the bottom of the organizational structure. Their chances of premature death are higher. People who ascend the hierarchical structure often experience better health than those who do not progress, taking into account factors such as level of education, age, and eating patterns. People occupying senior positions also experience health issues stemming from heightened stress, which persists despite their growing adeptness at managing such pressures. Klaas elucidates that alpha males often experience significant stress due to the relentless demands to maintain their dominant status. Therefore, he infers that occupying a rank just beneath the highest in a hierarchy may be beneficial, since it correlates with better health, while excessive stress, especially when paired with insufficient autonomy, often goes hand in hand with deteriorating health. Being in a role that entails significant stress and responsibility, or having power that is comparable to lower-ranking primates, can have serious detrimental effects on a person's health and happiness.

Practical Tips

• You can monitor your stress levels by keeping a daily leadership journal. Write down decisions you made, interactions with team members, and how you felt physically and mentally. Over time, you'll see patterns that indicate which aspects of leadership are affecting your well-being. For example, if you notice increased tension on days with back-to-back meetings, you might need to schedule breaks or delegate some meetings to others.
• Monitor your posture and body language during high-stakes situations to observe any physiological changes. When you're about to enter a situation where you need to exert influence or authority, like a job interview or a presentation, consciously adopt a power stance—stand tall, shoulders back, head held high. Take note of how this affects your heart rate, breathing, and overall feeling of confidence. Over time, you can track these changes to see if there's a correlation between your body language and your physiological state.
• Create a peer support group in your community focusing on healthy coping mechanisms. This can be a casual, regular meetup where people share their experiences and strategies for dealing with stress and life's challenges without resorting to negative behaviors. You might start by inviting neighbors or posting on community boards, emphasizing the importance of building resilience and positive life choices.
• Modify your diet to include foods rich in tyrosine, the amino acid precursor to dopamine. Foods like almonds, bananas, avocados, and lean meats contain tyrosine, which your body uses to synthesize dopamine. By ensuring your diet supports dopamine production, you might indirectly support the health and functionality of your dopamine receptors, contributing to improved resilience.
• Develop a bedtime routine that promotes wound healing and counters accelerated aging. This could include activities that are known to support skin health and relaxation, such as applying a nourishing moisturizer, practicing deep breathing exercises, or using a silk pillowcase to reduce skin abrasion. By making this a habit, you're creating an environment that may help your body recover more effectively during sleep.
• Consider volunteering for organizations that work towards improving community health. This can give you a sense of purpose and contribution, which has been linked to better mental and physical health. By helping at a local food bank or community garden, you not only contribute to the health of others but also immerse yourself in a positive social environment that can enhance your own well-being.
• Volunteer for cross-departmental projects to expand your network within the organization. This can provide a broader perspective on company operations and reduce feelings of isolation in your role. Reach out to project leads in different departments expressing your interest to contribute and learn, thereby creating opportunities for collaboration and personal growth.
• You can mitigate stress by scheduling regular "unplugged" periods where you disconnect from work-related technology. This helps create clear boundaries between work and personal time, reducing the constant pressure that can lead to stress. For example, set a daily time, like from 7 PM to 7 AM, where you turn off your work phone and don't check work emails.
• Develop a stress management routine that includes activities unrelated to status or competition. Engage in hobbies or exercises that promote relaxation and mindfulness, like yoga, painting, or hiking. By focusing on activities that bring intrinsic joy rather than external validation, you can reduce the stress associated with maintaining a dominant position.
• You can evaluate your current job position and consider a lateral move that offers less stress but maintains influence. Look at roles within your organization that are one step away from the top; these may offer a balance of responsibility and autonomy without the stressors of being at the pinnacle. For example, if you're a senior manager, moving to a role like Director of Strategy could keep you influential without the pressures of a Vice President.
• Develop a personal autonomy plan by setting aside time each week to engage in activities where you have complete control. This could be as simple as choosing a new recipe to cook, planning a solo day trip, or deciding on a new book to read. The key is to make decisions solely based on your preferences, which reinforces your sense of autonomy and can counterbalance areas of your life where you have less control.
• Develop a personalized "de-stress toolkit" that includes quick relaxation techniques or activities you can do in five minutes or less. This could be as simple as a playlist of calming music, a list of breathing exercises, or a collection of motivational quotes that you can turn to when feeling overwhelmed.

The ethical challenges faced by individuals wielding authority, along with strategies to recognize and support those in leadership with a stronger moral compass.

The intrinsic responsibilities that come with wielding authority.

Confronting the repercussions of their decisions or gaining awareness of them can enhance the ethical consciousness of those who hold leadership roles.

Sometimes, individuals may become more honest as a result of gaining authority, an idea presented by Brian Klaas. The task of deciding the financial recompense for the families of the September 11 victims was entrusted to Ken Feinberg, an attorney well-versed in overseeing such funds. Feinberg employed a practical method to evaluate an individual's worth by considering their lifetime earning prospects within the US. This method unintentionally assigned greater worth to the earnings of a Wall Street banker than to the wages of a custodian working in the World Trade Center's towering buildings. The primary objective of the compensation fund was to lessen the economic strain on the families impacted, making sure that their grief was not intensified by financial concerns such as housing loans and schooling costs.

Klaas met Feinberg to discuss his experience. While it was challenging to make decisions, particularly in cases where it was necessary to decide on granting financial support to a mistress and her children after a policeman who led a secret life away from his wife passed away, the most difficult aspect of the job was to have direct interactions with the relatives of eight hundred and fifty individuals who had died to comprehend the details of their existence. Feinberg's judgment was honed through direct observation of the impact on individuals' lives.

John Yoo assumed the role of formulating a justification for the Bush administration's employment of torture following the September 11 attacks, and he has stated that such decisions have never disrupted his rest, consistently holding a steadfast ethical stance on torture even when faced with visual or descriptive representations of detainees experiencing waterboarding or suffering through prolonged periods without sleep. Feinberg both faced challenging responsibilities following a national catastrophe. The way Feinberg approached decision-making, which had significant effects on numerous individuals, evolved to become more morally sound when he began to regard the affected people as real persons rather than just numerical data. For Yoo, the foundation of morality seemed to be rooted in a rational evaluation instead of an intrinsic struggle to choose ethically superior alternatives, especially when acknowledging the possible negative impacts these choices might have on other individuals.

Other Perspectives

• In some cases, increased awareness of the consequences of decisions may lead to rationalization or justification of unethical behavior rather than an enhancement of ethical consciousness.
• The concept of "honesty" can become more nuanced in positions of authority, where strategic communication and withholding of information can be considered necessary for greater organizational or strategic goals.
• The practical method of evaluating worth based on lifetime earning prospects may not fully capture the intrinsic value of each individual's life, as it inherently places a higher monetary value on higher earners, which could be seen as unfair or discriminatory.
• The compensation fund may have provided financial support, but it could not address the long-term financial challenges that some families might face, especially if the deceased was the primary breadwinner and the compensation did not fully cover future lost earnings and benefits.
• The challenge of decision-making in compensation cases may be perceived differently by various individuals involved; some may find the process straightforward if they are experienced or have a strong legal or ethical framework to guide them.
• The scale of a tragedy like September 11 could make it impractical for a single individual to meaningfully interact with every affected family, potentially leading to unequal consideration of cases.
• The notion of justification could be challenged by the argument that legal rationales provided by Yoo were contested by other legal scholars and human rights advocates, indicating that the legal community was not unanimous in supporting the use of such techniques.
• A steadfast ethical stance that justifies actions causing severe harm to others may be indicative of a utilitarian approach that prioritizes perceived greater goods over individual rights and suffering, which is a contentious ethical position.
• While Feinberg's approach may have become more empathetic, it could be argued that moral soundness is not solely determined by personal engagement with affected individuals; it also requires a fair and consistent application of principles that may sometimes necessitate detachment from individual stories to ensure impartiality.
• Rationality alone may not capture the full scope of human values, which can include intangible elements like justice, dignity, and human rights that are not easily quantified or assessed through purely logical means.

Overcoming the limitations of relying on exceptional, principled leaders.

To cultivate a wider group of moral leaders, it's crucial to enact structural changes that promote the emergence of individuals similar to Cincinnatus, distinguished by their rare reluctance to assume and relinquish authority.

Klaas argues that relying on people similar to Cincinnatus to elevate the quality of those in charge is imprudent. Cincinnatus, a figure from Roman history or legend, was summoned twice to lead during pivotal moments and on each occasion, he willingly and peacefully relinquished his authority. George Washington, often compared to the "American Cincinnatus," made the decision to step down from the presidency after serving two terms, thus avoiding the allure of unchecked authority.

Although intriguing, these occurrences are seldom seen in the realm of human leadership. It is essential to recognize that our systems are structured in a way that inadvertently promotes the ascent of unsuitable individuals due to flawed incentives, rather than relying on the chance emergence of exceptional leaders, as suggested by the author of "Corruptible." Our natural psychological inclinations and built-in biases often lead us to favor flawed leaders who reflect our own traits. Moreover, institutions often create environments that enable those predisposed to unethical behavior to thrive. To move past the inadequate leadership we currently face, Klaas argues that we need to focus less on the people in charge and more on the systems we use to choose, assess, and oversee them.

Practical Tips

• Create a personal "moral impact" journal to track decisions that involve ethical considerations. By reflecting on your choices and their outcomes, you can better understand the moral implications of your actions and strive to make more ethically sound decisions in the future.
• Reflect on your motivations for seeking leadership by journaling your intentions before taking on a new role. Write down what you aim to achieve and how you plan to exit the position once those goals are accomplished. This self-awareness exercise will help you focus on the service aspect of leadership rather than the power it entails.
• Cultivate humility and a sense of service by volunteering for a cause without seeking a long-term position or recognition. Choose an organization or community project where you can contribute meaningfully but also commit to stepping aside for others to lead after a certain period or once a specific goal is achieved. This mirrors Washington's ethos of serving for the greater good rather than personal gain.
• Start a peer discussion group focused on ethical dilemmas in your industry. Meet regularly to discuss hypothetical and real-life scenarios that challenge ethical boundaries. This can help you and your peers to recognize potential ethical pitfalls and develop strategies to navigate them effectively.
• Advocate for system-based leadership assessments in your community organizations by initiating a pilot program. Volunteer to work with a local non-profit or community group to establish a system-based evaluation method for their leaders. This could involve setting up criteria based on organizational values and goals, and then reviewing leaders' performance against these criteria at regular intervals. Share the results and improvements with the organization to encourage broader adoption.

Strategies to foster the inclusion of individuals with higher moral principles and a more pronounced sense of duty in leadership positions.

Strategies like proactive scouting, evaluating moral character, and cultivating a challenging atmosphere can increase the chances of choosing highly principled individuals for roles of leadership.

To tackle the deficiencies in global governance systems, Klaas proposes practical steps that can motivate people who are better suited to seek, obtain, and wield power in a way that is more advantageous. Encouraging a broader spectrum of people to participate, especially those from groups that have historically been excluded, can lead to positive results, especially if these efforts are undertaken collectively. Screening processes ought to prioritize an evaluation of character traits and evidence of competence, integrity, and collaborative spirit, in addition to skills, experiences, and qualifications.

Competition's role is crucial in drawing individuals of higher integrity to leadership roles. The police force in New Zealand successfully increased their ranks by focusing on attracting female recruits and members of the Maori community, altering their promotional materials to highlight the empathetic and community-focused aspects of policing. In the US, the language and imagery employed by numerous police departments convey a combative, militarized posture reminiscent of a warzone. Klaas suggests that expanding the candidate selection for leadership roles allows us to filter out the least suitable and promote the most meritorious to roles of power.

Ultimately, Klaas endorses the implementation of sortition, a technique that employs chance to address contemporary societal issues of corruption. To enhance the diversity of viewpoints in the process of making decisions and to prompt leaders to reflect on the impact of their actions on the well-being of individuals, we can create consultative bodies composed of randomly selected citizens or various other forms of gatherings. Minor adjustments can encourage virtuous conduct among leaders and motivate individuals to pursue public service over personal gain.

Practical Tips

• Volunteer for a local organization that aligns with your values and observe how leaders handle responsibilities and crises. Take notes on their approaches and reflect on how their moral character influences their decisions. This hands-on experience will give you insights into the practical application of principled leadership in a real-world setting.
• You can identify your power potential by creating a personal inventory of your strengths and values. Start by listing your top five personal strengths and five values that are most important to you. Then, reflect on past situations where you've successfully influenced outcomes or led others. This self-awareness will help you recognize opportunities where you can apply your strengths to take on roles that require power and leadership.
• Start a peer nomination box at work to identify potential leaders. Place a box in a common area where colleagues can anonymously submit names of individuals they believe have leadership potential. This encourages recognition of diverse talents and can bring attention to those who may not typically be in the spotlight but have the skills to lead.
• Create a personal feedback system by asking close friends or colleagues to provide honest assessments of your character and work habits. Provide them with specific questions that target areas like integrity and collaboration. For instance, ask them to recall a time when you had to work as part of a team and how you contributed to the group's success or challenges.
• Create a personal blog or vlog series that documents your experiences working in or contributing to diverse teams and community initiatives. Share stories that highlight the positive outcomes of empathy and teamwork in your professional life. This content can serve as a portfolio of your community-focused approach, which can be shared with potential employers or collaborators.
• Create a simple online survey to gauge public opinion on sortition in your community. Use free tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey to collect data on how many people are aware of sortition and whether they believe it could reduce corruption. Share the results on social media to spark conversations and increase awareness.
• Use social media polls to gather diverse opinions on personal decisions. When you're faced with a decision, such as choosing a new hobby or making a lifestyle change, create a poll on your social media platforms. Encourage your followers to share the poll to reach a broader audience. Analyze the results to see how diverse input can lead to more informed decision-making, reflecting the principle of a consultative body in your personal life.
• Create a personal "virtue jar" where you add a token for each action you take that benefits the public good over personal gain. This could be as simple as choosing to recycle more diligently, volunteering your time, or helping a neighbor. The physical act of adding a token serves as a tangible reminder of your commitment to virtuous behavior and can motivate you to continue making such choices.