Leadership has had a good run. Centuries of theory, frameworks, and TED Talks. Yet by almost any measure — institutional trust, employee engagement, corporate accountability — the leadership era is ending badly. Time for a shift to activators. Activators believe differently and act differently, sparking others to engage.

When optimism fails us, we assume moral courage drowns with it, but perhaps we have it backwards. Rather than waiting for hope to return, moral courage—the choice to act on our principles despite uncertainty—might be the very tool that rebuilds a more grounded, sustainable optimism.

Moral courage is a practice to embrace, building more capacity to do the right things. It includes unafraid openness, narrative curiosity, and outcome ideation.

Aspen trees are wonderful organisms, exemplifying community and empathy. Aspens serve each other as well as specifies different than themselves. Aspens equal community.

Adaptability is an essential leadership skill, and this capability fits well with a new model for resolving conflict in social relations. Leaders need to avoid stalemate, which can trigger a sense of resentment. We need betterment within our populism, especially within stakeholder capitalism.