<blockquote></blockquote> <p>We hear a lot about leaders today.&nbsp; Our country's leaders, our state's leaders, technology leaders,&nbsp; business leaders.&nbsp; </p> <p>It seems that lately, some of our leaders may have let us down, while others are rising up, making promises, trying to get the country and the economy back on track.&nbsp; Some of those promises they will keep and no matter how hard they try, some of them they will not.</p> <p>Today I spend some time <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29480832/" target="_blank">listening to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testify to Congress</a> about what is needed to support our ailing financial markets and another $30 BILLION investment in AIG.&nbsp; I wondered what it would be like to be "too big to fail."</p> <p>Through his remarks ran a common theme - the U.S. will be better off “moving aggressively” to solve economic problems because the alternative “could be a prolonged episode of economic stagnation.”  <p>You don't have to be famous to be a leader.&nbsp; Each of us has that opportunity each day when we talk to someone, share an experience, pass on a lead, or just take the time to listen.&nbsp; Leaders can be your teacher, your neighbor, your friend or the stranger sitting across the room at the coffee shop. Any of us can be a leader if we are willing to take the lead. <p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:fe40ff41-fbb0-4747-b143-f86b3d269b68" style="display:inline;float:none;width:320px;margin:0;padding:10px 5px 10px 10px;"><div>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WJk1jBM15I]</div></div></p> <p>Over the years I have learned a few things about leadership and about taking the lead.&nbsp; </p> <ul> <li>You can’t keep the lead by standing still. Leaders forge forward.  <li>People will not follow you if you don't help them see what's waiting for them at the end of the road.  <li>You have to keep to your path, have faith in your sense of direction, and be willing to stand in front and take a bullet.  <li>You will know you are out in front when others try to emulate what you do.&nbsp; - Celebrate when what you do is valued it means you're on the right track.  <li>To keep your lead — keep innovating — or you can be left behind!<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -Joan Koerber-Walker </li></ul> <p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:813e7435-3427-4b8a-a888-64618451ee4b" style="display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker" rel="tag">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose" rel="tag">CorePurpose</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Leadership" rel="tag">Leadership</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Innovation" rel="tag">Innovation</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Moving%20Forward" rel="tag">Moving Forward</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Economy" rel="tag">Economy</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Bernanke" rel="tag">Bernanke</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hope" rel="tag">hope</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/too%20big%20to%20fail" rel="tag">too big to fail</a></div></p>