I'm looking for any sign I can find that we're in recovery -- not only that the economy is turning around, but that the mindset that led us into this mess is shifting.

I found a good one.

The chief learning officer of a highly admired company was talking about leadership development. He was describing who and what leaders will need to be to cut a navigable path for others to follow in a future that is certain to be uncertain, convoluted and complex. His anger and disappointment about how out of whack we seem to have gotten as a society match my own...

I'm scratching my head over AIG and all the lookalikes. Bonuses paid out in the millions to people costing the company billions? People undermining the world economy? Oh, right. They're not performance incentives, they're retention bonuses. You wouldn't want people like that to get away.

But this CLO has on his boxing gloves. His dukes are up. He wasn't naming names, but he PowerPointed this quote, attributed to a Wall Street trader, on a 20-foot screen:

"What we are experiencing is a colossal failure of leadership in the business community. CEOs are greedy, shortsighted, unethical, arrogant, and lacking in vision and commitment. It's truly pathetic."

The quote is depressing. But the context is encouraging. This CLO is setting out to make some changes. I think many people, not just the high-profile multi-million-dollar-earning executives, have been swept up by the distorted dream defined by our derivatives debacle -- the idea of spinning gold out of paper. But I believe more and more people are also looking for something better, more hopeful, and more balanced.

I think we are starting to inch our way out of this mess.

Make a Difference,

Brian
Blog: Brian@GrowthWorks -- Life, Learning & Leadership