Several months ago, one of my executive leadership coaching clients started our session by venting his frustration about the state of politics in America. It is easy to share his frustration. As a resident of one of the “battleground” states in the upcoming election, I am overwhelmed by the volume of commercials and deeply disturbed by their universal lack of civility. Although I shared his feelings in general, I found myself surprised by the overarching conclusion he had drawn about the problem’s root cause. He stated emphatically, “The problem is principles!” When I asked him to elaborate, he said that he felt that in the name of principled leadership, politicians have become rigid and inflexible. “They are unwilling to cooperate, collaborate, or compromise.”
One of my favorite misquotes is “All that’s necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.” This statement is often attributed to Edmund Burke, but in reality, he never said it. Regardless of who first coined this expression, I love it. It is an absolute truth. When people do evil things, good people can stop them. But they must chose to act and to get others to act with them. Great leaders have the ability to stimulate others to be good, to act in the face of evil. Sometimes it means convincing others to take huge risks and make real sacrifices. Other times, it is as easy as pointing out a problem and inviting others to help you solve it.
Too often, pop culture is a source of leadership failures. It’s hard to turn on the TV without seeing another celebrity providing another example of how not to act in polite society. es of celebrity behaviors as examples of true leadership are almost non-existent. I can’t remember ever feeling a burning desire to blog about celebrity leadership, but American Idol has changed that. I have seen two great examples of leadership lessons recently. This week I’ll focus on the most recent, and I’ll write about the other next week.
Last Sunday, February 6, 2011, America celebrated President Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday. The media was full of tributes to our 40th President. It was awe-inspiring to watch and read the many stories and celebrations of Reagan’s life and leadership. He is my favorite modern president, so I found myself wanting to honor him appropriately.
Before I get started, I want to clear the air. Yes, I know this first question seems to be extraordinarily self-absorbed. The fact is that leadership requires that we as leaders understand ourselves. Leadership requires self-awareness, not self-absorption. There is a huge difference.