Help Me Build Wisdom About Leadership

Today’s Read2Lead is different than nearly anything I’ve written.  I REALLY want feedback and have one supposition and one question for you.  I would like to write more about this (here but also in wider forums), and I am looking for you to help me think about this.

SuppositionWe all know and would hide from, run from, or perhaps courageously confront or expose – an abusive parent, boss, teacher, CEO, doctor, minister, etc.  We know well the behaviors, they engage in. They:

  • Don’t admit fault
  • Never apologize
  • Blame others for their mistakes
  • Punish others (embarrassing them, firing them, defaming them)
  • Gaslight others (making it look like the other’s perception of reality is unreal)
  • Pretend they know things they don’t
  • Will at times directly lie about what they have said or done
  • Act like they are smarter than everyone else
  • Take credit for work that is not theirs

Question:  Why would we tolerate (I assume the vast majority don’t “support” these) behaviors when they are the behaviors of the most powerful leader in our country?  Republicans!  Please read on:

Important Points about my question:  (1) I am a Democrat, and to most of us, Trump’s behavior is obviously wrong, but I decidedly do NOT want Dems to join with me in a chorus of woes and condemnation of Trump.  There are plenty of blogsites to do that!  Instead, (2) I am really trying to be rational about this, and my point is NOT to put Republicans on the defensive and Dems on the offensive.  It is to honestly ask:  Should we justify these behaviors that we would almost certainly condemn in any “local” area of our lives, when they occur at this highest level?

To put the question differently:  Under what circumstances – local or presidential – is it good – or even just acceptable – for a leader to act in this fashion?  Have you seen it in a CEO or a Governor or a Pastor, where you would say, “Sure, it’s not the greatest, but it’s necessary and defensible.”

Like all of you, most of whom are American but many are not, I care very much about our country’s leadership, AND I also care so much about what we think about leadership, how we talk about leadership, what’s acceptable, when and by whom?  I hope we can advance that inquiry.

My preference is that you COMMENT, but I’m happy for you to reply privately to me at dan@leadingx2.com on the question which I repeat one more time:  Why would we tolerate (I assume the vast majority don’t “support” these) behaviors when they are the behaviors of the most powerful leader in our country?

I thank you in advance for engaging with me on this so-important question, as we

Strive to lead with our best self!

 

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