The leader I highlighted in our earlier assignment was 20-year-old climate activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, who serves as a spokesperson for the youth-led climate action organization Earth Guardians. He has appeared in front of the U.N., led a lawsuit against the U.S. government, given numerous speeches, and has been interviewed on many prominent news programs. Through these public appearances and his lifelong commitment to this cause, and understanding the strengths of similar activist leaders, I think it's fair to say his strengths largely lie in the realm of emotional intelligence and intuitive intelligence, as defined In Clint Sidle's Five Intelligences of Leadership. In the category of emotional intelligence, Sidle identifies strengths such as being values driven, service oriented, a good listener and communicator, and emotional awareness and empathy. These are important traits for his type of leadership and environmental causes in particular. For such a large and often daunting cause with far-reaching impacts on those who lack a voice in the discussion, leaders in this area must maintain a strong dedication to a cause greater than oneself, often have an emotional attachment to that cause, and are driven by empathy for those who are being negatively impacted. In the area of intuitive intelligence, strengths include the ability to see the big picture, being change-oriented, conceptual/abstract thinkers able to see the big picture, and inspiring and uplifting. Again considering how overwhelming it can be to address the issues associated with climate change, these are important qualities in this fight. Leaders must have the ability to think of the big picture and recognize necessary changes at the systemic level, without becoming discouraged or losing sight of that ultimate goal along the way.
Some of the shadows that come with emotional intelligence as described by Sidle include oversensitivity and excessive pride. Caroline Kish's Dark Side of Leadership also identifies a derailer of empathy and perceptive/insightful thinking as skepticism, which can lead to distrust and cynicism. I have found this to be a common problem with activism in the political space. Often grassroots activists have an emotional connection to their cause, which is what keeps them driven and dedicated to keep fighting. However, I have seen skepticism derail the big picture accomplishments that could happen if these leaders were more willing to work with the powerful forces they are fighting against. Unfortunately, it becomes easy to be cynical after years of fighting an uphill battle fails to lead to noticeable results - in spite of the massive support the movement has gained, we are still faced with the election and re-election of the same types of political leaders, and still up against the same profit driven systems that created this crisis. In numerous interviews with Martinez, the problem of skepticism is a frequent topic of discussion - specifically, the skepticism of pundits and critics who believe he and other youth activists are being puppeted by their parents or other adults. This is a clear example of how derailing skepticism can be - regardless of one's political leanings, we have become conditioned to be skeptical of leaders and of anyone with a level influence or notoriety. If we continue to let skepticism derail the conversation, there will be little hope for working with necessary parties to form real solutions.
Among the shadows of the more intuitive intelligences he exhibits (abstract/big-picture thinking, creative and innovative, change-oriented) are the potential to become unfocused, overcommitted, and impractical. I don't have any specific indications that Martinez is vulnerable to these shadows, but thinking more broadly about those who exhibit similar strengths, I can see how these can be common derailers. These are things I can personally relate to - I often become overwhelmed by my emotional and intuitive ways of thinking, which can lead me to overcommitment and lack of focus on more practical and strategic work. This is why a balance of the five intelligences is key, and why we must learn to recognize derailing behaviors in ourselves in order to counteract them.
Original post:
A leader I strongly admire is Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, who, as a spokesperson for the youth-led climate action organization Earth Guardians, turned me on to that group and all they have managed to accomplish through their activism efforts around the world, despite the fact that most of their members are not even old enough to vote. The group first caught my attention when he spoke out about a class action lawsuit they filed against the U.S. government in 2015, calling its failure to act on climate an attack on young people's constitutional right to life, liberty, and property. While a seemingly grand and difficult goal to achieve, it’s also brilliant in its simplicity, calling attention to the issue as one of basic human rights, and its specific effect on younger generations who have to deal with the consequences of not taking sufficient action. It inspires me to see young people taking such bold moves and thinking creatively and strategically about how to approach these issues in new ways. It’s an important reminder to older generations that we cannot allow ourselves to be deterred by fear of failure.