This Is Leadership

(Just LOVE that pic)

Some great accolades for our new leader in the media recently. Today's Globe and Mail brings a very good analysis of the leadership this man inspires, and the "politics of intelligence" he brings forward...

"If people, against their will, are ordered to vote a certain way, it isn't democracy. It's Putinism.

A new element, a blow to Putinism, that Michael Ignatieff has introduced to the Official Opposition is a kitchen cabinet. Every morning at 8:30, he meets a proxy group of about 10 Liberal MPs and gets their input and advice. That's in contrast to the way most opposition leaders have operated; usually, it's been just the leader and a tight unelected clique of advisers who held sway.

The kitchen cabinet members, a veteran group to contrast the leader's newness, include Bob Rae, Ralph Goodale, David McGuinty, Ujjal Dosanjh, Marlene Jennings, Denis Coderre, Albina Guarnieri and Roger Cuzner."

Mr. Ignatieff has surrounded himself with the best and brightest in Canadian politics and strategy... This is a trait of the best leaders. Your team makes you look good. His decision to bring Warren Kinsella into the fold has helped PR a thousand-fold. Warren is a veteran of the dog-fights, and runs a war-room like Montgomery. The old fox has more than a few tricks left in him...

Michael's OLO crew has been out "on the hustings" for weeks now. There is a good web presence, and perhaps more importantly - great contact with people "on the ground". If you're a Liberal, and you live somewhere in Canada, you had a good chance of sharing a moment with the new leader, and picking his "Canada Grade A" brain. One very positive aspect of the OLO efforts (and party executive efforts) has been the big jump in fund-raising we've seen the last couple of months. We exceeded the Conservatives for the first time in YEARS.

The morning "kitchen cabinet" meetings are a great idea - and the perfect start to a day. Nothing like a high-level planning session. I've created this practice in the business world and it is very effective: it coalesces the team, while quickly putting new ideas on the floor, and addressing "issues" as they come up. The key is to keep it relatively "informal".

The names mentioned in the "kitchen cabinet" not only represents the "elder statespersons" of the Liberal Party (I'm sure they'd LOVE being called that), but also reflects the Regions of Canada nicely, as well as our ethnic diversity. It is a great move to have such a group as a "virtual mini-cabinet", as they certainly have the ears of the rest of caucus, and a finger on the pulse of their own regions...

Mr. Ignatieff has shown, thus far, that he is an open-minded, thoughtful, LISTENING, and creative leader. This bodes well for our party, and for Canada.

Now, just get me some Iggy-wear! (For those of you interested, a new WesternGrit webstore is around the corner - depending on stocking and availability, we'll be set to go hopefully before convention time)...

VICTORY FUND