Thoughts on Leadership Today: A Call for Change
All Americans hold moral, religious, or other values true to their heart, in some form or another. The military has spent a lot of time and thought on leadership, its attributes and qualities. We have all probably attended ethics training and have tried to instill those righteous characteristics of proper, good, and just into the corporations or institutions where we live and work. Many of today’s leaders in government have differing experiences that have led them to their posts. Obviously, others have not. What is lacking in all of us today is fortitude and leadership, values most Americans hold dear.
The military, or at least the United States Army uses the synonym LDRSHIP and the seven values contained within it to make its members strong, just, and moral. LDRSHIP stands for loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.
We are all leaders in some form — be it to our children, in our communities, at work, or beyond. But we can all take a lesson on these seven values and remember why they are important to the military and why these values are also important to the American people.
Current leaders in government have forgotten why they were elected, or have ignored it. The people represented by government leaders have also forgotten their rights and have been lackadaisical in electing representatives to government for them. All Americans need to be reminded of why this country was created, the principles under which we were founded, and get back to what makes us strong, just, and good.
Too often Americans live in a 24 hour news cycle that never ends and expounds upon the maladies done to others by (insert bad person here). We are constantly exposed to stories from the media that inflate a situation, where abuse, fraud, murder, and lies are what feed Americans with information and not what is good, what is working, what is right. Too often Americans are privy to stories of leaders lying, guilty of abuses, stealing, and more.
But we all need to change. We can change that.
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” ― Rumi
As Americans, we must demand more of our government leaders. We can demand a better media system that is value-driven and not drama-driven. The media is charged with sharing the facts and information we need to understand our world better. Lately, they are more known for inflating opinions, flaring anger, and pitting people and sides against each other.
Have you noticed that everyone is a victim? Everyone has a story. Everyone is pointing the finger at others for wrongdoing and not looking inward at what they are doing that is unhealthy or wrong. Everyone wants to make a buck, to be bigger and more powerful than the next guy, or to abuse someone else because they have been abused. Everyone seems angry because of disagreements about who gets food stamps, who isn’t being educated properly, who pays taxes, who does not pay taxes, job losses, and so much more. Life doesn’t have to be this hard. We can all be leaders and act better toward our fellow man.
Everyone has a fear. Everyone is fearful. But by not propping one another up and celebrating mankind, we are ruining ourselves, singlehandedly. We are killing each other because we’re angry, we’re fearful, we hurt, we were wronged, and we want revenge. All of us are vulnerable. All of us want to be accepted, to be loved, to be wanted.
We can stop the pain. We can all be leaders and we can all be happy.
By pointing out the flaws of others, I force you to look away from me, so you do not see my flaws. I poke fun at others so that you can’t find my weakness and can’t poke fun at me.
This century needs a revolution in leadership. We all need to step up and step out as leaders in our own right and demand change. First in ourselves and then in others. By having personal courage and integrity, I will change so that my world will change for the better. Please join me.
