Nov. 8, 2026
Thank you, such as it is, to the man standing at the state’s busiest intersection at the height of Saturday traffic who gave me the prompt I needed to start this column.
There you were, planted on the corner of 41st Street and Louise Avenue, both hands in the air, middle finger extended on each, waving at passing traffic.
I saw you in no uncertain terms.
On some level, the whole country saw you last week.
For those of us who track issues closely at a local level, this should come as no surprise. The anger and frustration I see boiling over at nearly every City Council or County Commission meeting takes on a variety of forms, but the message is the same — and it was on clear display at the polls this week.
From my perspective, people are profoundly angry about, and even a bit afraid of, two forces: concentrated power and pricing for basic costs of living.
Every election brings with it takeaways not just for those in elected leadership but also for those in unelected leadership. It is a mirror and a magnifying glass on what a significant portion of the population is thinking and feeling.
An Associated Press voter poll found roughly six in 10 voters disapproved of President Donald Trump’s job performance, while nearly seven in 10 wanted Congress to provide more checks and balances on the presidency. In another exit poll from NBC News, Ninety percent said government corruption was a crucial or major factor in their vote for Congress.
But I think the message goes beyond one person. I see it consistently in the opposition to data centers, for example, where a significant portion of the outrage is directed not at the infrastructure itself but at the power of the tech companies behind it.
The concentration of authority and influence has implications for how people perceive their work environment, too, I think.
It can be a default of leadership to hoard information, opportunities and access within an organization. But the message from the populace is clear: Leaders should create more space at the table, show more avenues for advancement, authentically demonstrate transparency and bring a dose of emotional intelligence to the job.
Now, pricing.
Forty percent of respondents to the NBC poll said the economy was the most important issue facing the country. An overwhelming 89 percent said cost of living was a crucial or major factor in their vote for Congress.
It’s not hard to see why. From persistent inflation to mortgage rates to gas prices, it can feel like there is little easing in escalating costs of living. That doesn’t even count the health insurance increases I anticipate we’re about to encounter next year. Businesses that sell to consumers likely have been seeing this all year, and it makes me uneasy at best going into the critical holiday season.
If your business is able to focus further on delivering value and making sure you’re doing enough to reach your prospective customers, I’m sure you’re attempting to do so.
But I think there’s an element of this conversation that easily gets overlooked — and again serves as a takeaway for all leaders.
It is likely that members of your workforce are feeling economic stress at a level they might not have encountered in a long time. They might be feeling it every time they fill up the tank or get groceries. They carry that into your workplace — and chances are, you might not be able to compensate them enough to close the gap between pay increases and cost-of-living increases.
Consider what more you might be able to do, especially this holiday season, to show you’re aware that people’s budgets likely are being stretched. That will look different in each workplace, but some goodwill could go a long way right now.
Employees vote in the workplace, too, even though there aren’t any ballots.
They vote with their loyalty, their willingness to take on obstacles and bring new ideas, the ways they mentor others and contribute to teams. And they respond to leaders who help navigate collective challenges while painting a vision for a better future.
I think that’s what people seek in all leaders.
But the flip side, the one that probably doesn’t get talked about, is the role we all have to play in this equation.
Forget about anything happening at a national level — let’s start at home.
Next year, Sioux Falls will begin offering a junior kindergarten program, which I think is an idea that probably can’t come soon enough, given that it’s anticipated 40 percent of kindergarten-eligible children might instead go to junior kindergarten for a year to learn the academic and social skills they need to begin school. That’s a good step, but what a wake-up call to what is happening in the early years of life in our community.
We also recently reported on an enhanced college advising effort, because Sioux Falls lags below the state average in high school seniors going on to some kind of postsecondary education. We have high schools in this city where fewer than half of all graduates seek additional education.
This is not a recipe for creating a society that relies less on government and creates more economic opportunities.
I’m increasingly tired of hearing that voters delivered a mandate for change, cycle after cycle, no matter which party comes into power. Do you really want change? Teach a child something new. Learn a new skill yourself and become more marketable. Bring a new idea into your workplace or neighborhood. Figure out how to make your business more indispensable to those you serve. Find a way to give your time or resources to address a community need.
You’ve likely heard about the K-shaped recovery concept in economics — where some demographics and sectors rebound from downturns while others don’t. But increasingly, it seems like we are moving toward a K-shaped society. I hope it’s not too late to turn that around, instead of continuing to foster an environment where power and opportunities are concentrated on one end while others are left disenfranchised and angry.
Hence, the man at 41st and Louise. I don’t know what drove him there on Saturday with his frustration on full display. But while he stood alone, I think this week’s events prove he exists in anything but isolation.