Suck It Up and Lead!

I remember when I was first elected to office – it was for a youth group office in our local church.  I was excited to be elected as a “leader” and was ready to “lead” the youth.  I was pumped.  My job though was the Treasurer and the Youth Leader was the one who really had the power to spend money for the group.  I was a leader with no real power.  I was a leader with no real job.  It kind of frustrated me.  I was taking my job seriously but it was not a very serious job.  However, as a young leader I wanted to make the best of my role and I worked with the other youth and adult leaders on creative ways to both make money for our group and to donate funds to charities we thought were important.  It was a lot of fun.  Years later I remember making an impact and being proud of that effort.

Today our political leaders have a serious job – and they are not taking it seriously.  They are playing politics with the budget, our debt, and with the American people themselves – and they are taking for granted the trust of their voters.  I am so tired of their games.  The shenanigans that are going on in Washington are despicable.  The way our politicians understand leadership is so foreign to everything I believe it is.  It is almost as if they are completely disconnected from reality.  They don’t seem to know what leadership means. So …

Leadership –noun

1.the position or function of a leader: He managed to maintain his  leadership of the party despite heavy opposition.

2. ability to lead: She displayed leadership potential.

3. an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction: They prospered under his leadership.

(From www.Dictionary.com)

The definition of leadership is to function as a leader and to guide.  But it also implies the ability to lead.  Maybe that is our issue?  Perhaps we have leaders who do not have the ability to lead in Washington.  But they are there – and they have a job to do despite their abilities or lack thereof.  So our elected politicians need to lead.  They need to put the best interests of the people – especially the last, the least, and the lost of our society – in front of their need for political gains.  They need to be more concerned with the future than their immediate games.   They need to work together instead of working to one up each other.

I am a person of faith – and I believe the decisions we make reflect our values.  Decisions that put persons already in precarious situations – the elderly, the poor, and those on fixed incomes – in further distress are immoral.  Fixing our mess of an economy on the backs of those who have little resources is just wrong.  It is time for our leaders to lead.

Maybe I am unrealistic but surely our leaders can find a way to lead.  Isn’t it time for that?  It’s their job!  So suck it up and lead!