What it takes to be President

Like many of you who have ever been part of, say, a parent-teacher organization or any other volunteer group, I’ve been experiencing a deja vu over the last year watching this presidential administration go to town on America. A person no one ever thought would come to power has done just that, and, cringing with fearful trepidation, you watch as the first big event is planned.

This new leader rallies contacts, brings in a variety of drama and negativity and concludes that doing it a particular way is best for the collective group. The day of the event arrives and as chaos ensues, you take a moment to observe what you suspected all along — that this type of single-minded leadership would not flourish.

“I-told-you-sos” run rampant through your mind and just before you start to get really petty and gossip about the situation, you stop. The people at the event are your people: your family, friends, colleagues and sweet children. You can’t sit idly by watching this event be run into the ground for lack of solid leadership.

You step in, because allowing this event to collapse and fail is not an option for you — you’re deeply rooted into the larger community.

Dear reader, I feel called to serve my community by running for office. And I’m not the only one: since the last presidential election, over 15,000 women have…