Leadership Now Project

Leadership Now CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares's TED Talk is live! Daniella reveals how business leaders have sleepwalked into autocracy in nations like Turkey and Hungary – and makes the case that the same could happen in the U.S. The talk ends by reminding us it is not too late to reverse course and highlights the powerful impact of Leadership Now members.   Watch, share, and join the conversation: https://lnkd.in/e-wHkzkj #LeadershipNow #BusinessAndDemocracy #TEDTalk

Today, the American Bar Association issued an unprecedented statement: the rule of law is under threat just weeks into the new administration. From attacks on birthright citizenship to attempts to dismantle federal agencies without congressional approval, legal uncertainty is escalating. Why It Matters: 🔹 Predictability & Stability – Businesses and institutions rely on the rule of law to function. 🔹 Unchecked Power Grabs – Ignoring Congress’ authority threatens constitutional balance. 🔹 Real-World Consequences – Civil servants, businesses, and communities are already feeling the fallout. The ABA’s statement is a strong example of leadership and their call to action is clear: “We call upon our elected representatives to stand with us and to insist upon adherence to the rule of law and the legal processes and procedures that ensure orderly change. The administration cannot choose which law it will follow or ignore. These are not partisan or political issues. These are rule of law and process issues. We cannot afford to remain silent. We must stand up for the values we hold dear.” Read the full statement: https://lnkd.in/gYii4_sZ

How Business Leaders’ Sustained Action Protected the System   ⚖️ What’s happening: Last Friday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s top elections official, can continue serving in her role, blocking attempts by lawmakers to remove her. Leadership Now, in collaboration with Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy, filed two amicus briefs emphasizing the business case for election stability, marking a significant win for protecting our elections. Leadership Now has supported Wolfe since she first faced attacks following the spread of misinformation after the 2020 election. 💡Why it matters: Stable and transparent election administration provides businesses with the predictability they rely on. As outlined in our amicus brief, Wisconsin’s independent election system has long been a strength, and efforts to remove Meagan Wolfe introduced unnecessary uncertainty. The court’s ruling helps maintain continuity and confidence in the process. 📖 Go deeper: Read more about this victory and how business leaders are demonstrating the power of focused, sustained action to protect the system through the links below. 🔗 WisPolitics: https://lnkd.in/djJcY62H 🔗 Amicus Brief: https://lnkd.in/da8yztFF #Wisconsin #BusinessLeaders #LeadershipNow #Democracy #Elections

⚖️ What’s happening: The federal workforce is undergoing major upheaval, with career prosecutors dismissed at the DOJ, the FBI being politicized, and USAID programs being cut. 📉 Why it matters: A stable business environment depends on predictability, rule of law, and fair enforcement. When government institutions are reshaped for political purposes rather than effectiveness, businesses face uncertainty, investment risks rise, and critical international relationships erode. 🔎 Go deeper: Leadership Now CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares warned about these risks in a September 2024 article on the consequences of Trump’s civil service plan. Read the article to learn more or follow Daniella’s newsletter for updates on risks and opportunities.   🔗Article: https://lnkd.in/exJ5wp3J 🔗 Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e8PzDBe9

💡What’s happening: A sweeping effort to restructure hundreds of government institutions is underway in Washington. ❗️Why it matters: These actions are not just dangerous—they’re often illegal. Instead of improving government effectiveness, they introduce massive, unpredictable systemic risks and eliminate transparency. The result: We don’t know who is really in control or for what purpose. 🔎Go deeper: Protect Democracy has a helpful rundown on what’s happening and why it’s so concerning. Follow Leadership Now Project to stay up to date

Join Leadership Now Arizona & Arizona Town Hall: On February 13, 2025, Leadership Now Arizona is hosting a lunch and fireside chat featuring Elizabeth Neumann, former Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism and Deputy Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security, and John Fees, Co-Founder & CEO of NextGen Insurance Group, alongside other thought leaders. Lunch & Discussion: Thurs. Feb 13 at 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM MST Location: Gateway Community College, Phoenix, AZ, or Online via Zoom This event will be part of a larger three-part program, in partnership with Arizona Town Hall, to discuss the future of voting and elections in Arizona and the nation. Please join us for the full morning program, or attend the lunch only. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to engage with leading voices in the conversation about strengthening democracy. Register for free and learn more: https://lnkd.in/ePnyHQsf #LeadershipNow #Arizona #CivicEngagement #BusinessLeadership #Democracy

Yale historian Tim Snyder's 20 Lessons On Tyranny offers a practical checklist for navigating our context that applies to your daily life. Today they become more relevant than ever. I find the list both empowering and sobering—well worth a (re)read of all twenty. The first 8 are below and find the full list through the link. Leadership Now Project 1. Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do. 2. Defend institutions. It is institutions that help us to preserve decency. They need our help as well. Do not speak of "our institutions" unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning. So choose an institution you care about -- a court, a newspaper, a law, a labor union -- and take its side. 3. Beware the one-party state. The parties that remade states and suppressed rivals were not omnipotent from the start. They exploited a historic moment to make political life impossible for their opponents. So support the multiple-party system and defend the rules of democratic elections. Vote in local and state elections while you can. Consider running for office. 4. Take responsibility for the face of the world. The symbols of today enable the reality of tomorrow. Notice the swastikas and the other signs of hate. Do not look away, and do not get used to them. Remove them yourself and set an example for others to do so. 5. Remember professional ethics. When political leaders set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become more important. It is hard to subvert a rule-of-law state without lawyers, or to hold show trials without judges. Authoritarians need obedient civil servants, and concentration camp directors seek businessmen interested in cheap labor. 6. Be wary of paramilitaries. When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching with torches and pictures of a leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the end has come. 7. Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, may God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no. 8. Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. Remember Rosa Parks. The moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.

Rather than predicting 2025, I share a few perspectives to help navigate the uncertainty ahead and focus on what matters most. Here's to a year of meaningful action and engagement. Leadership Now Project

Starting this month, Leadership Now Project's updated newsletter design will help you cut through the noise by highlighting leadership risks, opportunities, and actions that matter. In this edition, we focus on the leadership risks posed by cabinet picks who are unqualified for the massive obligations of their roles and Elon Musk’s use of his platform X to attack and spread disinformation about individual public servants. On the leadership opportunities side, read how selecting a new DNC chair presents a chance for reinvention for Democrats—or a path to maintaining an ineffective status quo.

Vital perspective from Leadership Now Project member Brandon Moore on the importance of selecting a qualified leader to oversee the world's largest and most sophisticated military, with a $800bn+ annual budget. If the Dept of Defense were a company it would be the world's largest.