I am fascinated by the subject of leadership. I love to read about individuals who are able to lead others toward a common goal. I also am also fortunate that in my company I am surrounded by really strong leaders. If you're interested in this topic, be sure to check out this week's special issue of US News and World Report. The leaders they profiled are fascinating - and the choices they made are unusual.
The events of the past few weeks (yes, those events) have given me a front row seat onto the psychology of the blogosphere. The blogosphere too has its share of leaders. I am not talking about those who top the Technorati rankings. I am talking about the people who set the tone of conversations in a community, the media and beyond.
If there's something that most of these folks have in common it's this - they are critical, but they're also really nice and willing to learn. They always contribute to the discussion in a positive way. They focus on a greater goal that they share with their own circle of readers and other bloggers.
At the same time, the 'sphere is also filled with really nasty people who do nothing but spew toxic waste. They write sensational headlines and throw rocks because it's fun. Sometimes, it gets very personal in nature. Many of them are arrogant. What they have in common is that they don't really contribute. And while they might grab a lot of links here and there, they really don't lead and they never grow.
I believe that those who contribute to the conversation - even if it's critically - are the bloggers that are really the ones that are the most interesting to read. These leaders don't always paint everything as candy canes and lollipops. They call things like they see them. But they do so not to attack, but to advance the conversation forward. They do so to lead people toward a larger goal.
These are the blogs I subscribe to and the rest, well, I am learning to ignore them.
