One of the most hackneyed terms in the world of business is leadership.

Today in The Conversation Canada, Nick Turner, a professor of organizational behaviour and Distinguished Chair in Leadership at the University of Calgary, explains why the word has essentially become meaningless because of the way it’s over used.

“Unfortunately, the word leadership in the business world has become a pliable form of praise that can stand for everything and nothing all at the same time,” says Prof. Turner.

This isn’t only an issue in the business world, Prof. Turner suggests. It’s also a problem in the world of politics, when politicians like Donald Trump brag about their own leadership skills without realizing that real leadership is defined “as the process of being perceived by others as a leader.”

The recent protests in Charlottesville and copy-cat versions that have been held since then in the U.S. and Canada have focused on right-wing extremist groups like Neo-Nazis. But on the other end of the political spectrum is the left-wing protest tactic known as Black Blocs. Francis Dupuis-Déri of Université du Québec à Montréal has written an excellent explanatory article that delves into this movement.

And finally as you head into the weekend, we continue with our “Worth Reading” series. This time, MV Ramana of the University of British Columbia, who has written for us about nuclear issues, offers us his list of books about nuclear disaster, weapons, authoritarianism and climate change. Perfect light reading for our world today!

Regards,