Leadership

Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. So it wasn't one day it was several. Today's post will be somewhat political so if you don't want to read that just move along now. I stopped commenting and posting about political issues on Facebook. That does not mean I'm stopping here.

I recently read an article on leadership. It addressed 10 characteristics of leadership. I'm going to list them all but not comment on all of them.

1. Vision
2. Motivation
3. Serving
4. Empathy
5. Creativity
6. Thoroughness
7. Managing
8. Team Building
9. Taking risks
10. Improving

Vision. I don't think there is any question that the current president has a vision of what he wants to do and where he wants to lead America. The other part of having a vision is that to accomplish that vision you must inspire others. There is no doubt the 40 or so percent that follow him and agree with him are inspired. The problem is team building. There seems to be no effort to reach out to anyone outside of those who are true believers. We have become a nation divided. It is increasingly clear that one of the major drivers of this is election district gerrymandering. Why? If we use computer modeling we can determine those areas that are solidly one party or the other. It allows political parties in power to create safe districts for their party. If you can ensure the opposition party has no chance of winning what happens? Effectively when you are elected the only way you can lose is in your party primary election. You lose because your party's voters have determined you are not sufficiently conservative or liberal. Compromise becomes impossible. You want to remain in office to affect the change you think will help America and compromise means you can't be reelected. Change is generally incremental and not revolutionary. Republicans understand this and it has driven their opposition to the Affordable Care Act. It was a step in a long process toward universal health care.

Empathy. This is the issue with the current administration I do not understand. The current president seems completely unable to express or exhibit any significant level of empathy. I watch the near worshipful level of his followers and wonder how they reach the conclusions about him that they do. He understands our struggle. He knows how we feel. I will give you that one. He knows you are angry. That you feel the systems our society depends on don't work for you. He knows those things but only uses them to manipulate you in support of his agenda. It is an agenda that is not in the majority's best interest. He claims his administration is fighting to protect health care for pre-existing conditions. This is while he has worked to overturn the Affordable Care Act and his Justice Department actively supports a legal challenge to that protection. He talks about no cuts to Medicare and Social Security while leaders in the House and Senate push to make those cuts to reduce the budget deficit the tax cut they passed and he signed created. Understands their struggle. Please- he shits in a gold toilet. He has, allegedly, billions of dollars. He doesn't worry about how to pay his bills, pay for groceries, sending his children to college, car repairs or any of a hundred other things that vex every day Americans. He talks about your struggle but he doesn't understand your struggle. He has never lived your struggle. Never laid awake at night knowing that he doesn't have health insurance and is one illness or accident away from financial ruin. He hides behind his shell companies, lawyers and bankruptcies to keep his personal lifestyle. He refuses to pay companies and people who work for him. You are just another piece of shit he steps on while he walks to his golden toilet.

Improving. Leaders create an environment where team members work to improve their skills and the outcomes for their organization. It seems this president is only interested in having people who are willing to kiss his ass. Don't suggest something that is not a part of his plan. He believes he is the smartest person in every room he enters. It is clear, if you are paying attention, he is not.

I have believed for a very long time that a boss is someone who can get you to do your job. A leader is someone who works and encourages you to do your best. When I look at our current president I know that we can do better, much better. 

If you are interested in a good article on leadership here is a link.

www.game-learn.com/what-is-leadership-ways-to-define