Soon, we will vote for some of the leaders of our country; whether at the local, state, or national level, our determinations will affect long-lasting change. With that being said, who do we want to lead? Who do we want to make decisions for our country and, by extension, our personal well-being?
Everyone, for the most part, champions a leader. We grow up, cognizant of those who exemplified goodness—basically people who did the right thing. From our parents to teachers to coaches, we gleaned respectable traits, behaviors, and attitudes in keeping with the “right” way to live. We looked up to those who made a point of living their lives with integrity, and as we grew up, we learned to differentiate the truly honorable from their counterparts.
In our professional lives, we look for the same characteristics we valued throughout our lives—the person willing to not only stand for what is right, but willing to take responsibility when things go wrong. In other words, we still look for leaders. But, what constitutes a good leader? Google this query, and you find Sarmad Hasam’s top ten qualities—most would agree his list captures the highlights.
- Honesty and integrity
- Confidence
- Inspires others
- Commitment and passion
- Good communicator
- Decision-making capabilities
- Accountability
- Delegation and empowerment
- Creativity and innovation
- Empathy
We can all expound on those in our own lives who epitomized uprightness; I have quite a few. Luckily for me, my parents taught hard work, honesty, and owning your own mistakes. Mr. Peeples, who managed the Winn-Dixie I worked in as a teenager, treated all respectfully, working around our school and activity schedules. Paul and Terry Padron, my gymnastics coaches, made patience, hard work, and kindness simply routine. Mrs. DeLucco, my first school principal, led the entire school staff in placing understanding, people, and learning at the forefront of education. My husband, Sam, worked tirelessly for 33 years in the Air Force, putting people and the mission first. These leaders understood motivation, care, and respect.
I’ll tell you that I’m concerned about our elections—we probably all are, or should be. It seems we’ve lowered the bar for our elected officials on the very basic attributes we expect from the leaders in our everyday lives. A principal of a school would be fired for the behaviors shown by some of our elected leaders. We make excuses for outcomes which are personally beneficial, regardless of how they affect other citizens of our country. It is not the time for selfishness and division; we need to elevate our offices to the stature and responsibility they command, placing people of intelligence, integrity, and empathy.
When November rolls around, vote for candidates who demonstrate the characteristics on Mr. Hasam’s list, those caring for all of the citizens of our great country. The hard truth is that when we decide to accept lower standards for our leaders, inevitably we design our own ruin.
Quote:
“The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.” George Orwell
Designs on Life 