#leadership crisis

[trendtracker360writer]

China is poised for a rough ride in 2025, and all eyes are on President Xi Jinping. The economy is stuck in a rut with low consumer confidence and deflation rearing its head. Consumers are holding back, and the hoped-for recovery post-COVID just isn't happening. On top of that, the geopolitical landscape is heating up, especially with the potential return of Trump, which could reignite trade tensions.

Xi’s promised reforms to transition China from middle-income to high-income nation seem harder to implement with all this economic pressure. He’s facing a crisis of trust, as many question his leadership amid the turmoil. With limited options left to stimulate growth, Xi needs to tread carefully.

2025 could be a defining moment for him, with his legacy on the line.

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[agentfascinateur]

#US politics...

[pebblegalaxy]

Miss USA Scandal Exposed: Toxic Work Environment and Calls for Leadership Overhaul #MissUSAControversy #WomenEmpowerment

The recent resignations from the Miss USA Organization have ignited a firestorm of controversy and speculation, revealing deep-rooted issues that extend far beyond the glossy surface of the pageant world. Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava, along with social media director Claudia Michelle, have all stepped down within a span of one week, citing a “toxic work environment”…

[novelconcepts]

One of the things I love most about Yellowjackets is how it shows the natural oscillation people will slip into in times of crisis, revolving from person to person in a desperate bid for someone to help them survive a hellish situation. They start, naturally, with Ben: the only adult in the room. And, when he starts to fail them, they glance off of Jackie--who is processing her own terror and grief in ways that do not serve the hive team, so who's next? Lottie, of course! Lottie, who has visions, who seems to just know things, who feels preternaturally powerful in a place where less and less makes sense, where starvation is hollowing both body and mind. And when Lottie tries to shuffle backward away from this, because she is unwell, because she does not want their obsessive focus, because she never really wanted it--who's next? Natalie. Natalie, who has been the steadfast foil to Lottie's ethereal tendencies. Natalie, who fixes what she can whenever she can: be it gathering Travis' father's ring, or making maps, or bringing back game. Natalie, who is solid as the ground--or so it seems. Not because she actually is, just like Lottie is not a true messiah, just like Jackie is not innately more capable due to her captainship, just like Ben is not necessarily going to save anyone just because he's over 21. But because the girls need someone. They need to fixate to stay alive. They need a leader, because that gives them someone to look to, not because the leader will actually make a real difference.

So: if Natalie starts to show cracks...of course they'll turn on her. Of course they will. It's only natural to seek out someone, anyone, who might save you. No wonder they build a religion. No wonder they need a queen.

Heavy be the head that wears that goddamn crown. Always.

[commonsensecommentary]

“This year’s elections—and the stark choice they present for our nation’s future—are a tipping point that occurs perhaps only once in the history of any nation. How we vote in our local, state, and federal elections this year has certainly never been as important during my lifetime, and the direction we choose will reverberate through many, many decades to come.”

[frogaroundandfindout]

“Nightwing and Starfire brought wave two. Which is just about everyone who’s ever been a titan. It’s a natural thing when Nightwing shows up. None of us are conscious of it really but we all look to him for orders. He basically founded the team, lead them for years. Robins lucky he’s got an older brother type he can relate to.”

Dick leads the charge against Dr. Light (Teen Titans Vol.3 #23)

[jessica-marie-baumgartner]

The People's President is speaking RN

[jackoshadows]

Honduras recalls ambassador to Israel as it condemns civilian Palestinian toll in war

Honduras on Friday became the latest Latin American country to recall its ambassador to Israel for consultations as it condemned what it called genocide and other serious violations of international law in the Gaza Strip.

The Central American country’s Foreign Affairs Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina said on X, formerly Twitter, that President Xiomara Castro had decided to immediately recall the ambassador in light of “the serious humanitarian situation the civilian Palestinian population is suffering in the Gaza Strip.”

[raffaellopalandri]

Book of the Day – Upstream

Today’s Book of the Day is Upstream, written by Dan Heath in 2020 and published by Avid Reader Press / Simon Schuster. Dan Heath is a bestselling author, speaker, and researcher known for his work on business strategy, problem-solving, and decision-making. He and his brother Chip co-authored several influential books, including Made to Stick, Switch, and The Power of Moments. His works focus on…

[antirepurp]

Your Knuckles posts made me think about Knuckles in SA1 and how a major part of his story (and his theme) is peace! Peace with himself, peace with the world around him. Basically he's the antithesis of his ancestors. That's something that these recent developments miss about him! For all the jokes about Unknown from M.E., "Freedom will be waiting when serenity is restored." is a line that gets overlooked, but it speaks to how different he is from the ancient echidnas!

yeah this. sa1 and weirdly the games that followed (except maybe heroes) all had an anti-military message in them, and while it's more obvious in the other ones sa1 does it a bit more subtly with how it portrays the echidnas in everyone's flashbacks. they were Warriors, and it was the wars they fought against others and themselves that brought them to their demise. whether that's an adequate portrayal of ancient civilizations is a bit of a different topic i don't have the knowledge to tackle appropriately atm, but it gives an important contrast with knuckles and shows how different he is from his ancestors. he does not wage war, he protects his home and takes care of it, ensures peace on angel island above all else. he may spar with his friends but that's much more akin to something like doing sports than anything. what makes knuckles so great is that despite his physical prowess and ability in combat he is a peaceful guy who does not seek conflict, and if he gets into an actual fight he's doing so for the sake of Protection. the movies painting him as a Warrior and forces and frontiers associating him with military positions feels like such a gross misinterpretation of his core character

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

⭐ for I want to die with you, Wendy, on the streets tonight in an everlasting kiss!

Hehe<3 ty for indulging me to talk about this fic more Dujour!

ive talked about the contents quite a bit, but one thing i haven't touched upon as much is Celia knowing Elena's gonna leave, and how she changes to make up for that- this fic capturing Celia as she steps towards taking over Elenas role of leader and is slowly running out of denial about how Elena will leave. Ft taking about the power structure and leadership pre everlasting kiss. it got long so under the readmore!

Celia is not anything close to a leader, or even in the middle of the social hierarchy, when she turns 17. Elena and Tesoro are both near the top, not enough to be considered in the running leaders of their year, but Elena has an intelligence and fighting talent that overshadows that shes a girl, and Tesoros emotional intelligence and levelheadedness means hes the de facto mediator.

if all 2-3 'leaders'- the people fighting over the top position who have the ability to hold it- are down, Tesoro may be the person who most look to, but Elena would be the true leader, having the intimidation and strength to take control.

Celia is at best, a loyal grunt whos aware of the complexities of reputation and can win a fight enough to mostly avoid being fucked with.

But Elena is nominated for a scholarship by the school. Elena is already spending less time with them and more in what passes for an art studio, planning her portfolio and pieces, spending extra time behind class to make sure she gets those grades.

Elena will no longer be the person to step up as leader.

Tesoro is already cracking under the strain of his home life as well as the emotional baggage piled onto him. he will be important- but he cant be the one at the top.

and this is fine- well its not Celia has to grapple with her best friend leaving but shes happy for her!

Then the race happens and Polpo orchestrates a turf war between street gangs just so Passione can take over and absorb the victor. [timeline here more specifically under the second readmore]

and by the middle there down to one leader, and even less people, then that leader gets hospitalized and Elena is forced to step up while Tesoro is trying to hold everything together and Celia is who Elena leans on, Celia is the one who is trusted by Elena, and Celia is the one who suddenly starts moving upwards.

turns out being head over heels for your leader motivates a low tier grunt to become someone people learn to fear, not to mention fighting for you and your friends lives.

then the war is over, then they can breath- and thats when Everlasting Kiss happens. and it all changes again.

Celia didn't know if she was glad it missed or not. She was already the de facto leader of their little sub-group, and despite the leers, she would be the one to step up when Sovrano was taken out of the game- Hell she had stepped up as he was taken care of in that clinic.

By all rights, Elena should be the next in line, but this scholarship- well, she's been slowly retreating from them, preferring to study and linger in what passed for a studio in school, than hang out in parks and bars and wherever they chose to linger at night, drifting through the stone jungle they called home.

by the beginning of the fic, Celia is hyper-aware of Elena leaving, and has even become the leader next in line herself. Her and Elena are seen by the current leader as of equal status- showing just how far she has risen from effectively being Elena's lackey.

not to act like a Shakespearean dick joke is a truth of the universe but Celia is not born great, she had greatness thrust upon her every time, greatness being leadership. Her mother dies, she is forced to take up the role of parent. Elena is working for that scholarship [and other people die] so she is forced to take on the role as leader.

Celia is willing to make hard choices and sacrifice herself for those she loves and so she ends up carrying the burden of responsibility for others. she will end up stepping up to become a leader not out of a thirst for power, but because those she loves cannot hold the burden themselves.

+ bonus thats actually in the vein of directors commentary:

Yet Sovrano was waiting for something, anticipating action- despite the bandages and stitches, and there had been so much blood, and someone else had managed to knife him, in that last desperate attempt, but missed killing him by a few centimetres.

that 'last desperate attempt' was by Elena. she was so fed up of his shit she shanked him in the middle of a fight but unfortunately she missed.

[govtshutdown]

Maybe excise that one, punt it, and pass the other 5?

[leahcee]

.

[andysouldancer]