To our newly elected leaders,
My heart is breaking at the level of partisanship and animosity. I congratulate you and at the same time challenge you to be a leader and to move beyond your party and the next election. I’ve created a list of the ways in which you can step up to the leadership role you have just been granted.
- Represent all of the electorate. Even though not everyone voted for you, you now represent them too.
- Have a long term view. We look to you to help create long term prosperity. That means making some short term sacrifices. Be long in vision and short in patience for those who pull you from that path.
- You are now part of ONE body charged to govern, not just a Democrat or Republican or Libertarian. Forge alliances across party lines for the greater good.
- Listen more than you talk. And listen to lots of viewpoints. Be open and respectful to those who see things differently. Different is just different, not wrong.
- Respectfully seek alternative perspectives. No one person and no one party has all the answers. Know that the most robust solutions are forged from the crucibles of conflicting perspectives.
- Refuse to defer the tough decisions. Forget the petty fights. Ignore the insignificant actions. Roll up your sleeves, do the messy but important work and use your power for the best outcome for generations to come.
One Response
In support of what you wrote, below are comments I emailed last night to our our new congressman, whom I supported in this campaign.
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I have some hopes for you.
I hope that you will be a voice of reason in what has been a cauldron of temper tantrums. I saw a poll recently that said that 80% of Americans are sick of the negativity and 104% are sick of bickering and gridlock. (I made up that percentage.) Be that voice of reason that solves our problems. This isn’t about you or the obstructionists – it’s about America.
Be a leader. We’re sending you to DC to be a leader, so lead. Get out front. Take the chance to be great. You know how to do this.
Tell constituents about it. President Obama has done a dreadful job of communicating with Americans, in spite of all the reasons he has to wave the flag. Do what he hasn’t done well – communicate – let constituents, all bazillion you have in your database – know what you’re doing, the successes you have and the truth of what is happening so that you can continue to lead to make things better.
Finally, I have this offer for you: tell me how I can continue to support you. Whatever I’m able to do to support and advance what both you and I believe is the best path for America, I’m there. You’re going to be a busy guy. Just keep my contact information. You’ll know if and when it’s time to holler.
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It occurs to me – what if all of us woke up and stepped up? What if we all acknowledged that this is our country and these are our challenges? What if those of us in business realized the same view of our ownership? Choosing leaders isn’t the end of our responsibilities – it’s the beginning. It’s up to us.