Who’s The Leader?

Funny thing about leadership, it requires followers. If someone is to lead, then others need to follow for that leader to be a leader.

Not all leaders have many followers. That doesn't make them non-leaders. It makes them ‘seers’ of possibilities. We call such people visionaries. They see things we need to see but often don’t. Some of these people are considered policy wonks. They are boring but the work they do and the ideas they consider are important to us.

Engineers are like that as well. They spot problems that their intelligent analysis and creativity can solve. Like a bridge sorely needed but at a most difficult location. How do we build a bridge there? Like adjacent to the Hoover Dam? Or across the rivers that make Manhattan an island? Or the tunnels beneath those same rivers?

Or distributing precious water resources to arid spaces of our nation? How did Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Southern California acquire needed water supplies?

They received them through collaborative work by Congress, state legislatures, and countless engineers. Water from the Colorado River and its tributaries and Rocky Mountain snow melt were diverted to dry lands where thirsty people lived. Soon crops and economic development thrived where the water was received.

It took leadership to make that happen. It took vision to make that happen. Someone had to get us to listen to the needs and the possible solutions. Over time we became followers so the leaders could do our work. And we benefited.

Newly installed Pope Francis reminds us:

We have created new idols. The worship of the ancient golden calf has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose.”

Pope Francis sees a problem. He wonders about its dimensions. The why of the problem and the how are subject to his wonderment. He spots historical and theological parallels. He gets the connections. He envisions it. Now to do something about it! It will take a leader, or many. The Pope is our visionary here. He is seeking leaders to address the issues.

We have leaders or wannabes! What we really need are true leaders, the people who understand the needs, find the resources, and develop the ideas that will fix the problems, the needs. Trouble is we have too many wannabes who want the spotlight so keep that spotlight from settling on those who can get the job done.

Let us not lose the point here. A leader does this work because it is for the common good, not for his or her own credit. It is the issue they are concerned about.

The Marmel Page on Facebook shared these thoughts the other day:

“Republicans turned their back on the United States when they got a leader they did not like [President Obama]…

…did you really think they wouldn't turn their back on religion for the same `reason? [Pope Francis]”

It seems to me this quote is painfully accurate!

America has an education problem. Our current President and most of his predecessors agreed we have an education problem. But Congress and much of the American citizenry do not want to pay the cost of fixing the problem. That cost, by the way, may actually be less than what we are paying for public education already! But the fear is present. They do not wish to disturb the status quo for fear that it will cost us more to fix the problem.

The same is true about the economy. We know how to fix it. We know how much it will cost and how rich the payback will be when the problem is behind us, but we argue over how much in the short run it will cost us. We argue who’s ideas will survive the discussion! We fear who will get the credit for leading us through the mess to a better solution.

A dynamic nation requires a dynamic democracy. It is that democracy which gives trust and faith in the common governance of the land. However, we do not have a dynamic democracy at this point in time. We have a self-serving out of power second political party determined to gain power by any means. To do that they must demean the person voters placed in a position of leadership.

They are in danger of destroying the very treasure they profess to love – America.

It is high time democrats and republicans learn to talk with one another. And work together. And solve real problems that will help the nation.

Following the leader – whether you like him or not – will get us to the place we all need to be. We all need to be a part of the solution. For our own good. Else we are indeed part of the problem.

Killing off the leader harms us. It is also a colossal waste of potential. Meanwhile….

January 14, 2014