Imagine everything you wish government could be: responsive, transparent, collaborative, innovative and deliberative.
Simply put, this is the vision of Rethink Leadership.
We understand this is no small task, nor are we the first to try to make this vision a reality. What Rethink Leadership brings to the table is a unique plan of action.
We believe that government needs to be comprised of people, not special interests. We will show that a citizen with good ideas and a passion for helping their communities—we call them unpoliticians—can run for and win elections at the local, state or even national level; and not only can they win, but they can be innovative and responsive public servants while in office. Our goal is to literally change government from the bottom-up, inside-out.
Rethink Leadership will light the way for this new generation of unpoliticians. Our efforts will be focused on inspiring and supporting young and independent social and political activists, entrepreneurs, policy nerds, community organizers, and local leaders around the country by telling their stories through a robust digital outreach campaign as well as physical events, panels and seminars. Through these stories and our grassroots networks of independent leaders, our organization will make government—and more importantly the daunting electoral process—more accessible to young people than it ever has been before. By providing support, networking, training, and resources to help these leaders learn from each other, we will create the first truly educational, inclusive, post-partisan civics ecosystem. And by getting young people involved in politics through such an inclusive framework, rather than the divisive traditional political networks, we will shape future leaders who will not only be willing to reach across the aisle when they reach higher levels of government, but will actually have that collaborative, post-partisan spirit embedded in their DNA. We shouldn’t have to spend so much energy convincing elected officials to work across the aisle; we should have elected officials who already understand these concepts and have the training to execute it.
We have never needed to Rethink Leadership in our county more than now. Our government is plagued with political gridlock holding back progress on important issues and concerned Americans are looking for new, creative solutions. And now, with technology and social media making it easier and more affordable for potential leaders to not only have meaningful conversations with their constituents, but run a professional-grade campaign, the barrier of entry into elected office is lower than it ever has been.
Our country was founded on revolution and the promise of a new and better democracy. This is the philosophy of the unpoliticians—to be the modern revolutionaries of a new political system that can once again reinvigorate our democracy. This is not a goal that can be accomplished in one or two election cycles but rather a serious long-term strategic commitment to making our world a better place. And we need your support.
So please join us in ushering in the first-ever generation of unpoliticians.
