Health Care, the U.S. Supreme Court and Leadership

I, along with thousands of others, logged on early this morning to see if the U.S. Supreme Court would uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. And, in a complex and lengthy 5-4 ruling, the Court upheld probably the most significant underpinning of the Act: that Congress has the power to try to expand health care to virtually all Americans (by virtue of its taxation powers). The buzz was palpable during the morning commute – discussing it in casual carpool, overhearing snippets of conversations on the walk up Market Street, and reading tweets and Facebook posts about the ruling. This ruling will have significant impact on all of us, and for some, on our organizational mission and programming. 

From a leadership standpoint, this ruling presents an opportunity for deepening mission impact and moving in new directions. How nimble are you and your organization in responding to major shifts in the landscape (such as today’s ruling)? How strong is your sense-making muscle – taking in this new information, analyzing it, and applying it to your organizational strategies?  In the face of a dynamic landscape, what are your individual and organizational practices of agility, pivoting, and critical thinking? Why not take some time today (or over the next few days) to reflect on what this ruling might mean for your organizational mission, field impact, or movement leadership?

For a copy of the SCOTUS ruling, visit here.

The following articles on leadership and change can provide a great starting point for this discussion in your organization:

• “Leadership in a [Permanent] Crisis” by Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Granshow and Marty Linsky (limited preview only)
• “Leaning into Discomfort: Social Sector Leadership in the 21st Century” by the editors of Nonprofit Quarterly

By Marissa Tirona, Senior Project Director

Read Marissa’s other recent CompassPoints of View blog posts:

• Movement Building: What Does a Leader Need?
• Managing Change – and Transition – in an Organizational Setting