An Inconvenient Truth

I feel like the last person in America to see An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary of Al Gore’s presentation about the perils of global warming, and what we can do about it.

I became interested in seeing it after reading a recent New York Times Magazine special Green Issue that discussed all the ways that each one of us can reduce his or her “carbon footprint.”

Living in an area rich in natural beauty and simple things like creeks that once powered local mills, I was humbled by what I read in the Times and reflected on privately.

I was moved by the documentary.

Gore’s ability to make the science of global warming simple is phenomenal. His presentation skills are extraordinary. The documentary shows a powerful man in humble ways.

I must admit I was so moved by the program that instead of driving back to the video store 8 miles away to return it, I rode my bike. (This allowed me to experience the hazards that bicyclists face, and made me appreciate my health insurance, as well.)

As a person who works in the field of leadership, it made me realize some important things:

1. Great leadership is about being able to identify important things and communicate them effectively.
2. Great leadership is about having goals and a strategy for achieving them.
3. Great leadership is about principles, and seeing how we all benefit when those principles are placed before profit (and, not surprisingly, the profits almost always follow).
4. Great leadership is more like a distance run than a sprint.
5. Great leadership is about inspiring people to do things, often difficult things, and believing that they can.

An Inconvenient Truth is poweful not just for the message about how and why we must save our planet, but also as a model of great leadership.

If I’m not the last person in America to have seen it, I encourage you to rent it or take it out of your local library.