Is it Trump?
I apologize for not blogging much this week. In the “other” world where I run really big high school cross country meets, I’ve been involved in a crisis of leadership and “political correctness.” It’s led me to this blog.
There seems to be a “new” style of dealing with each other in every day life. My role models both in education and as a coach, taught me that it was the job of a leader to care about the folks that he/she led. A good friend, who won five state championships as a coach and school administrator said: “…my job is to serve those that I lead. If I serve them, then we can achieve our common goals…”
A leader is a servant. It’s not a new concept, but it’s one that seems to be lost in our current era. Whether it’s on the “macro” level: with President Trump creating an equivalence with Nazis and the “antifa” and calling even his allies “losers”, or whether on the local level where leaders demand obedience without question. “Be happy you have a job” is the message that comes across. Ask questions or disagree, and risk retribution and unemployment.
In both cases, we have lost the view that the role of a leader is to serve. As a coach, my biggest goal was to get a team of high school kids to “buy in” and believe in themselves. To lead was to not only make them feel that THEY were leading, but actually have them be the leaders. That era seems to have past.
And in life it seems like “Trump World” has overtaken civil relationships. We had to build “a wall” around our yard to fence out the neighbor (we paid for it) and even that could not keep out the intimidation and hate (see Thanks Mr. Frost.) We have local politicians who espouse fear tactics, and threaten legal action for every criticism. We have lost the common goal: to improve life for everyone.
Trump is not the cause. This has been going on for a while, and the divisions in our society grew far before his political career began. I believe part of the problem is our “new” ability to voice our opinions without having to be “face to face.” We can tweet and post and all of the other electronic media (including blog) without having to look someone in the eye. We can be cold and cruel without sharing in the emotional burden that results. And, of course, it all can be inflamed by others, whether they are individuals who enjoy the “game,” or more globally, those institutions who gain from division.
I am not calling for a “leader” in the Facists sense. I am not looking for someone to strong arm our nation back to caring. I hope that we can find leaders whose true goal is to serve US (both in the you and me and national sense.) They don’t have to agree with everything we believe in, but they do have to care. I certainly feel that President Obama tried to be that kind of leader, but I also think Governor John Kasich has that sense as well (though I don’t agree with much of his policy.) It’s about serving others, not a just serving a term in office.
Great post, as usual. I have always believed that it’s a leader’s job to take care of the things that only the leader can and to make sure that my employees have everything they need to succeed. In many ways, this administration (I still think that “Kleptocracy” is the best descriptor for it) is the very antithesis of that in many ways and I can’t agree with you enough. Two Ohio folks who I believe share the goal of serving us are Connie Schultz and her husband Sharrod Brown. They are both worth following on FB (I have to admit that I like Connie’s posts more; she IS a writer so I suppose she has an advantage).
I absolutely agree that Sherrod Brown is an example of great servant leadership. And he’s also an example of why that model works in politics. He remains a progressive strong in Ohio!
As a country we came together during the eclipse and also during the recent hurricanes in Texas and Florida. The eclipse brought us together in a day of wow and ahh and the hurricanes brought us together in our concern and caring for each other regardless of race, ethnic group, gender, class and political party affiliation.
I have looked for and needed leadership since Trump was elected.
Recently Rex Tillerson has made statements about the Rohingya people in that the violence against Myanmar’s Rohingya must stop. I very much appreciate Tillerson’s statement and pleased that he has shown in this case leadership that is humane.
I am afraid that our “plate is too full” for the Rohingya people!! We should be outraged as 400,000 people are driven from their country, their villages burned so badly that they can be seen from space, and even the Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi remaining silent. It is an outrage, but with Trump, Harvey, Irma, Fires and Russia: it hardly makes the list. I’m glad Tillerson at least is stepping up, the Indian government needs to do the same with our support.