[caption id="attachment_8207" align="alignright" width="125"] Responsibility in 3 R's[/caption]

It is time for a new era of responsibility, in life, in leadership, in hope for human kind.

There will be three aspects of responsibility in this new era:

<strong>Respect</strong> for the power we each have at our fingertips. Influence, a voice, tools to build with, position, and access can all be used to destroy. When we respect this fact, we can choose to use these for good.

<strong>Responsiveness</strong> to people, community, and society. Situations are wrong, systems are broken, and people suffer. Something has to be said, something must be done. The worst state we can possibly be in is to be in a state of callousness and inactivity.

<strong>Restraint</strong> in our actions. We tend to overreact. We’re human. We have a menu of choices to select from when personal and societal firestorms ignite. Like in a natural disaster, immediate response is required, but ultimately <a href="http://wp.me/p1Bxqd-iX">time and consideration</a> are needed in order to move forward. If we are each awakening out of shock or ignorance, becoming aware of the need to act in some form, then we can’t react in fight-or-flight fashion. We must test the ground around us, check our perceptions with reality, and proceed with restraint.

As I write these points, it occurs to me that this is a lot like what responsibility looked like when I was growing up. Whether individual, organizational, or societal, our responsibility is to look inwardly and work outwardly in a way that is consistent with our character and convictions.

<em>I fear at times we are in a new era of irresponsibility rather than one of responsibility. How do you check to make sure you are maintaining a strong sense of personal and corporate responsibility?</em>

<a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=letter+R&amp;ex=1&amp;origin=MC910227468#ai:MC910227516|">Photo source: Microsoft</a>