AMERICA HAS A LEADERSHIP CRISIS—OR RATHER A "LACK OF LEADERSHIP CRISIS”

AMERICA HAS A LEADERSHIP CRISIS—OR RATHER A "LACK OF LEADERSHIP CRISIS”

 

Why would I say this? I CAN NO LONGER REMAIN SILENT! (I apologize for this edition being late. I was torn about exactly how to open it.)

 

Too many responsIble leaders are simply retiring from Congress and gov’t jobs, rather than fight this wave of idiotic non-leadership…

Our President must be led around G-7 by his wife, or reading (poorly) from scripted teleprompters for his garbled remarks.

Our Vice President is flying about the world, looking for something/anything she can do—to avoid the dealing with the real problems—listed below:

1. The US Border is swamped with uncontrollable floods of illegal immigrants—no one (including the VP, supposedly in charge) has a clue what to do.
2. Major US cities are riddled with crime, murders, rioting and worse—amidst questions about defunding police—and inept majors making it worse.
3. Major US cities controlled by Democrats in top government spots are all bankrupt/and deeper in debt than imaginable. (Farewell Cuomo & DeBlasio!)
4. Democrat leaders controlling the major branches of government are “throwing money at problems” (hard-earned taxpayer money & massive debt.)
5. Uncontrolled spending is driving deficits to record highs, and fueling inflation-driven costs higher than ever; consumers will suffer.
6. There is little or no attempt to find bi-partisan, compromise solutions to problems.(exception, maybe, the misnamed Infrastructure bill).
7. Education is in disarray, controlled by powerful teacher unions, instead of school boards and parents; it’s time to change that.
8. Political correctness under the banner of “woke” (rhymes with “joke”) and cancel-culture runs rampant, threatening reasonableness.
9. The "Biden solution" to Covid was to continue the Trump solution—but without support of most Trump devotees (a bad result).
10. Covid-Delta surge among unvaccinated/younger age groups grows, until "adults in charge”(if any) make shots mandatory for work & public venues.
11. The Tax increases in the pending “Bidenomics” tax bill will dramatically hit most Americans in either direct taxes or inflation or both.
12. The exit from Afghanistan (which is years overdue) was poorly managed (no surprise) and a de-facto concession to the Taliban. Now what?
13. Aggressive foreign leaders: China (Xi), Russia (Putin) & North Korea (Kim) are pushing Biden (& his Socialist manipulators) hither & yon with ease.
14. Diversity, Inclusion and Equity (DIE)—worthy causes all—have been co-opted and distorted, pushing good intentions aside.
15. A true Scientist (former Obama admin.) has revealed that the Science of Climate Change is “UNSETTLED" in his new book of that title—and unlike Biden’s favorite phrase, climate change may NOT be an "existential threat to the the future of life on earth!" (Read the book—if you don’t believe it.) https://www.amazon.com/s?k=unsettled+steven+koonin&crid=MFLQZCD4MDZR&stprefix=Unsettled,aps,231&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_9

I’ll stop there, but the list could be much longer. Only the Stock Market continues to rise—but the cumulative effect of INEPT LEADERSHIP will force it to drop preciptously at the first sign of big, bad news. The US can only be thankful that the rest of the world offers no better places to invest.

 

NATURE ABHORS A VACUUM; IN THE ABSENCE OF STRONG LEADERSHIP, THE MISGUIDED MANIPULATORS TAKE CHARGE. 

WELCOME TO THE USA OF 2021.6, IN YEAR-ONE OF THE BIDEN-HARRIS-SANDERS-SCHUMER-PELOSI-AOC ADMINISTRATION

 

Take a few moments and think about Leadership. We may not be able to define it precisely, but we know it when we see it, and feel its impact. 

List the “great leaders” you personally know, have met, or at least are aware of and believe in. Most people find it hard to list very many, living (or dead.) 

 

If you read the piece below that I wrote two decades ago, in answering the question of "what it takes to be a great leader” you’ll see why. It’s a high bar to clear, especially over a span of years.  Even great leaders have flaws—but they are usually revealed or admitted, and overcome by their positive behaviors.

 

Here’s my latest “2021.6 list”…a few of whom I’ve met or known, most I have not (which makes it risky to confer “great leader” status from afar, except by observing how they led.)  See who’s on your list. I stopped after ten because many leaders in history are highly regarded until their flaws were later revealed.

1. Vince Lombardi (never met)—Green Bay Packers coach
2. Sam Walton (knew him)—Walmart founder
3. George H. W. Bush (met once)—US President & former government official & decorated military officer
4. Ronald Reagan (never met)—US President, California Governor & noted actor
5. Chuck Rolinski (knew well)—Toluca, IL HS coach & teacher
6. Lou Holtz (met twice)—Football Coach
7. Mitch Daniels (never met)—Former Governor of Indiana, now President, Purdue University
8. Condoleezza Rice (former US Secretary of State, National Security Adviser and Professor.
9. Mike DeWine (met briefly)—Governor of Ohio, former US Senator
10. 4-way tie: Ryan Day & Luke Fickell (met briefly)—Football Coaches; Frank LaRose,(know well) Sec. of State OH; Steve Stivers (know well) US Congress retiring & Brigadier Gen. US /Army Reserve.

NOTE: The absence of women on my list is due to a “generational” effect. (Most of the female leaders have emerged in recent years, as women became more prevalent in leadership roles.) The recent years’ history and resignation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo of NY shows how fragile a public (political) person’s leadership can be—both perceived and actual.

 

Download What It Takes To Be A Great Leader-1

The Role of a Leader 

© John L. Mariotti 1998

A few months ago, a reader emailed me about the several pieces I have written on leadership. He was going to a session with noted author Warren Bennis and wanted to get my perspective on this topic. I was flattered until I realized the difficulty of the question he posed. He asked that I define leadership in one sentence.

I responded with the caution that Bennis has written numerous books and studied leadership exhaustively, so my one-sentence attempt was unlikely to add much to that body of work. After I wrote it, and he attended his session, he emailed back that the one sentence I wrote was very useful to him, and it was then I decided to share it here.

Leadership is the ability to convince people to follow a path they have never taken to a place they have never been and upon finding it to be successful, to do it over and over again.

For any business to be successful the one ingredient, which is not optional, is strong leadership. This leadership consists of many people, throughout an organization. A single leader at the top, usually the President/CEO, is the starting point. Put a weak leader there and strong leaders in other parts of the organization will become demotivated and leave. Without a strong leader at the top, if the organization that retains a few strong leaders in other positions, it will be pulled hither and yon as each of them pursue their own agendas, taking some part of the organization with them.

But what, exactly, is the proper role of a leader? A few years ago an MBA intern in my company posed this question. My answer at that time was lengthier, and less logically formed, but I have refined it over time.

The role of a leader is:

• To create a clear understanding of the current reality, and

• A healthy dissatisfaction with it (the current situation);

• To help develop a shared vision of a more desirable future situation;

• To create the belief that there is a viable path from the former to the latter; and

• To create an environment in which people are motivated to embark on the journey to that future.

I had no sooner finished the answer to his first question than he fired a second one. " If that is the role of the leader, then what are the responsibilities of the leader?" Once again, I launched into a spontaneous answer:

The responsibilities of a leader are:

• To help the organization remove or overcome obstacles on the journey, and 

• To assure that the resources needed for the journey are available or can be obtained.

• To provide encouragement, honest feedback (positive or negative) and continued support during the journey.

• To take part in the journey.

At an IW conference a few years ago, when I asked noted leader and retired chairman of Motorola, Robert Galvin, “What is the most important aspect of leadership?” His answer was, “To take people to places they would be afraid to go alone.” I liked that answer so well; I followed with a second question. “Can leadership be taught?" His answer was, “Not exactly, but rather it can be role-modeled and then emulated.”

As I reflected on those answers I realized that there is a large quantity of "latent (undiscovered) leadership" in everyone. The amount varies, and the circumstances under which it emerges (if ever) depend on the need, the alternative leaders available, and the risk of taking a leadership role. In one of my earlier pieces on leadership, I concluded that great leaders needed one ingredient more than anything else--great followers. Those followers are also leaders, but they are leading only one, or at most, a few people-- themselves and those in their immediate circle of influence.

The key conclusion is that leaders must help the followers decide where they are going and how they will get there. Then they must continue to lead, keeping the group on course during the journey as unexpected obstacles and pitfalls are encountered. When leaders assume their roles properly and take their responsibilities seriously, followers will almost always follow them-- usually successfully. Are you living your leadership role? Are you taking your leadership responsibilities seriously? If you are, then you are a better leader because of it, and others will follow you! 

 

====================

 

UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE IN AN ERA WHEN MEDIA, CELEBRITY OR STAGING WRONGLY CONFERS AN AURA OF  EXPERTISE, BELIEVABILITY AND PERCEIVED LEADERSHIP.

 

Followers have a big role in bestowing leadership on anyone.  The next time you see President Biden speak, (or worse yet, VP Harris) and many other prominent elected leaders. ask yourself, "Do you think these people embody the leadership principles you want in a leader you’ll be proud to follow.” 

 

In about 15 months, we wll all get to make new choices for the leaders we elect. That’s one of the great benefits of a country that can have (we hope)"free and fair elections." 

 

NOTE: I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, for the exemplary job he and his office did with our Ohio elections last fall. It was a model of behavior that more states in the US should emulate. When people in positions of responsibility like Frank step up and do the right things, we should all be proud—and choose more leaders like this.

 

Now go back to the top and read about the characteristics of great leaders, and TRY TO IDENTIFY CURRENT LEADERS WHO MEASURE UP! 

IT’S HARD, VERY HARD.

 

AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO 2022 MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, I HOPE YOU’LL SAVE THIS LIST TO USE AS A CHECKLIST FOR CANDIDATES.

 

BEST WISHES FOR OUR FUTURE

 

JOHN

 

 

Here’s a book on Leadership that I co-authored with Dave Lukas several years ago. 

Check it out; there’s a link below the cover photo that will take you to it on amazon.

It appears that President Biden is repeating many of President Obama’s leadership mistakes all over again.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Not-Strategy-Leadership-Presidency-ebook/dp/B007KDGO9G/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=hope+is+not+a+strategy+Mariotti&qid=1628691836&s=books&sr=1-1