President Obama once said “No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change”, and he could not be any more right. It may not seem pressing, it may not seem urgent, it may not even seem like it will affect you, but just because we do not go outside every day and feel a temperature change, does not mean that climate change is not happening. This topic has been seemingly growing awareness due to events like the bushfires in Australia, but not enough physical change is being made to prevent irreversible damage to our earth. According to NASA, we have seven years until the earth’s carbon budget is depleted, thrusting the world into irreversible damage. We need to engage and grow our communities, reach out and hold each other accountable for the treatment of our earth, we need to take action in our daily lives to reduce our carbon footprint. 

 

This problem resonates with me because I love technology. I love seeing the world innovate and create extremely creative and complex engineering masterpieces that display the wealth of our knowledge and showcase the possibilities we can create. It is invigorating to see the marvelous and useful pieces of technology our society can make. Now there are straws that clean and purify water as you drink it and cars that drive themselves. All this technology, all these crazy ideas that have been put to life, yet we cannot find a way to keep ourselves from increasing the world temperature by more than two degrees Celsius per year. Yes, we have solar panels, and LED light bulbs, and now electric cars are becoming more available, but it is not enough. As a lover of ingenious ideas, and a believer in society, it is sad for me to see that we have not thought of a better solution to climate change yet. More importantly, it is sad for me to see that as a society we do not have the foresight to know that our behavior needs to change, now. Even without a perfect solution to climate change, there is so much more society could be prioritizing to limit our carbon emissions. Complex leadership theory suggests “the success or failure of leadership actions is attributable to the capacity of the organization that supports them”, meaning the reason our climate is failing is due to a lack of support from organizations, but in this case, we are the organizations, just ordinary people (Marion and Uhl-Bien 2001). It is hard for some people to realize they one person’s actions do create change and have an impact on the world. Everybody can make a change, even taking a shorter shower or just using less water, all you have to do is put in the effort. Helping the planet starts with you. 

 

Henry Ford is a perfect example of how one person can make a lasting impact on the world. While he is known for his invention of the assembly line, I look up to him as a leader because of his unique ability to stay true to his values and vision. Ford grew up on a farm, tinkering with every mechanical object he could find. When he turned 16, he began working for Thomas Edison until he became the chief engineer. After failing a few car businesses, Ford did not give up. He was determined and passionate, so he took his hand-made inline motor and raced it. Money and support did not just appear in front of him, he fought for it. With several investors, Ford Motor Company was birthed. From there, Ford crafted his vision, to “achieve total self-sufficiency by owning, operating and coordinating all the resources needed to produce complete automobiles” (The Henry Ford). By the end of his career, he had almost done it, but the reason why I look up to him is that no matter the hardship he faced, Ford got through it. Company failure, shareholders disagreement, the Great Depression, Henery Ford was an authentic figure that could brave any adversity. 

 

It came down to one thing for Henry Ford, a work ethic. It is how I believe we are similar. Nothing worth anything in life comes without work. The difference between store-bought and homemade is time and effort. Time and effort are what goes into work that makes it meaningful. They are the display of your level of care. The world, in which we all live, is something we all innately care for. It is due time that we showed it. The level of work, time, and effort that we are currently awarding to protecting our environment is simply not sufficient. As a leader, it necessary to speak up, to lead by example, and to put in the work that will begin to turn back the clock on global warming.