Putting politics aside for a minute, I finally figured out what it is about our current president that gets on my nerves -- it's a leadership issue.
While volumes have been written on good leadership I want to highlight two facets: standing by a decision and building consensus. The president prides himself on the first and apperently doesn't know what the second means.
This philospophy of leadership is most evident in the nomination of Harriet Miers for Supreme Court Justice. The president has nominated someone without building consensus and has angered his own party in the process. Basically, this nomination is doomed -- and yet the president, because of the first facet will stand beside this sinking ship because he doesn't understand a 3rd principle of leadership, namely when to cut your losses and get out of dodge.
I know that being the president is hard, and I know I'm far from a perfect leader, but this is elementary leadership stuff! The weakest leaders are those who lead based on "ivory tower" revelations and the strongest leaders are those who build enthusiastic teams around them!
Monday, October 10, 2005
The Thing About the President
Putting politics aside for a minute, I finally figured out what it is about our current president that gets on my nerves -- it's a leadership issue.
While volumes have been written on good leadership I want to highlight two facets: standing by a decision and building consensus. The president prides himself on the first and apperently doesn't know what the second means.
This philospophy of leadership is most evident in the nomination of Harriet Miers for Supreme Court Justice. The president has nominated someone without building consensus and has angered his own party in the process. Basically, this nomination is doomed -- and yet the president, because of the first facet will stand beside this sinking ship because he doesn't understand a 3rd principle of leadership, namely when to cut your losses and get out of dodge.
I know that being the president is hard, and I know I'm far from a perfect leader, but this is elementary leadership stuff! The weakest leaders are those who lead based on "ivory tower" revelations and the strongest leaders are those who build enthusiastic teams around them!
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2 comments:
ironically, GWBooooosh came into office with a record of building concesus in texas...
i wonder if the republican's treatment of clinton doomed whomever followed to be stonewalled by the dems...
also, i'm not sure we can underestimate the effects of 9/11 on the way politics happens... also the war.
what if you're wrong about this nomination? what if she goes through?
just stifling your creativity by playing devil's advocate!
yeah, i think that's the thing about republicans...they don't always get the idea that at least in politics, the shoe will always be on the other foot someday and by whatever measure of grace you show...
i could be wrong about miers, but the lesson i think is the same -- dictator-style leadership may be appropriate on a battlefield, but 99% of the time, consensus is more effective!
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