Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award 2016

The Honorable Senator Cory Booker is the 2016 recipient of the Felician University Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award (video posted by Felician University).

"This idea of restorative justice, idea of goodness, kindness, mercy, values deep within the Christian faith, but, I will say, values within the human eye, are so critically needed today.  I tell you, the values of this university are desperately needed in the world.  …  We are connected more than we seem to understand.  …  Our lives are not just for ourselves."

(Senator C. Brooker, source: YouTube transcript).

Leadership - a new approach

Leadership should not be viewed as a set of essential job functions or as a position within an organization’s chain of command. Rather, leadership is a social process in which people at various levels in an organization work together to meet their own needs and the organization’s goals. In fact, within any organization, those in formal leadership may not be the only individuals to whom leadership authority is imputed. Informal leaders also have the power to motivate the group to meet shared expectations. Both formal and informal leaders are those who can personalize interactions with team members, providing the coaching and mentoring each might need to become a more valuable member of the organization. This requires a change in leader focus - moving away from a traditional leader-follower relationship construct to a leader-stakeholder approach based on ethically congruent relationships between equals playing different roles within the organization. Ultimately, it is the perception of a person’s past success and everyday interaction between organization members that mark a person as a leader, whether they hold a leadership position or not.

Garcia, C. C. (2013). Brothers from Different Mothers - Confucius, Benedict, and Francis:
The Historical Search for Humane Leadership.
Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies, Vol.1 No.3.

You cannot remain indifferent...

A statue of the Beggar in front of St. Francis church in New York. 

The changing world of work requires creativity, skills, ingenuity, and flexibility

Until recently, workers with specific skills were associated with particular activities in different sectors. They competed with other workers for jobs on a national scale. They gained skills through their work in particular sectors and industries, and for the most part the pace of change in workplace organization and products was slow enough for them to adjust. 

     In many areas of work the labour market is now global. Multinational corporations have access to labour around the world, and workers must compete on a global scale for jobs. Digital technologies heighten the competition by removing geographical barriers between workers and work demands - in many cases it is not even necessary for a company to move physically or for a worker to migrate. The work connection can be made through the Internet or mobile phones. That there is a global labour surplus makes competition among workers even fiercer. [...]

     For workers these trends are aligning to create a world of work where creativity, skills, ingenuity and flexibility are critical. 

Jahan, S. (ed.) Human Development Report 2015.