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Leadership Lessons From Watching Politics


I've been watching the presidential primary race with some interest. I'm interested in politics and I strongly believe as citizens, we should strive to know something about the people who want our trust; and our vote.

There's something about political campaigns, and politicians in general, that I find interesting. We think of politicians as leaders, but watching their behavior it's clear that most really aren't. That may seem a little harsh, so let me explain. Most of the politicians I've seen look different than they did a few years ago. I mean that in general terms. Politicians tend to swivel with the wind; kind of like a weather vane. There some few exceptions. John Adams could not be swayed from his belief in government's duties, and it cost him dearly. Lincoln believed in the sanctity of the Union above all else and would not compromise on that point. Coolidge believed in the ability of the market to grow the nation's economy. Reagan would not budge from a position of national strength. Unfortunately though, politicians too often express a firm belief in the opinion that's popular at that time, or for that audience. While the political stage is a very different environment, I do see some lessons for leaders in all this.

1. It's hard to consistently say things you don't really believe. At some point you'll slip and say what you really think, or you'll get caught up in conflicting statements as you try to please everyone.

2. Values are not situational and core values don't often change. Leaders who don't clearly define their own core values, and stick to them, set themselves up for an internal conflict that can destroy them.

3. You can't sell snake oil for any length of time. When people find it doesn't really work, they'll come for you and it won't be pleasant. People are allowed to make mistakes, but when you start out with something that you know is flawed, you're headed down the road to ruin.

4. You can't please everyone. Those who try end up pleasing no one. A peer of mine used to tell his boss one thing, his workers something else, and when the senior leadership was around, his story would change again. It wasn't long before he lost everyone's trust and became marginalized and irrelevant.

5. You don't know everything. My favorite leaders were those who admitted to what they didn't know. That doesn't mean they remained ignorant, just that they didn't try to act on issues until they had filled in their knowledge gaps. Remember that ignorance is merely not knowing, and it can be fixed. There is no shame in ignorance. On the other hand, stupidity is acting on ignorance, and as the saying goes, you can't fix stupid.

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