August 27, 2007

When Picking a President, Remember: Leadership is W.A.R.

Our nation is at war against Islamic fascists who want to destroy us. Our military is fighting this war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our intelligence agencies are fighting this war throughout the world. The Democratic and Republican parties are at war over political power and control in Congress. The public has to fight to be heard by its government. Our free market economy is fighting to stay free.

No matter how you slice it, there is war all around us. This makes the 2008 presidential election that much more critical. We need to elect a real leader as president of the United States.

Following a keynote speech I had given recently, a young man asked me a simple but compelling question that forced me to reflect on what it means to be a real leader. He did not ask who should be the Republican presidential nominee, or the Democratic nominee, or even who I thought would ultimately win the presidency in 2008.

This young man’s question was simply, “Who should be president?”

Instead of first thinking about political party, current presidential contenders, political and personal baggage, poll results or even who has the most money in their campaign war chest, this question caused me to think about the three critical leadership abilities a real leader must possess, which I had described in a speech earlier that day. Namely, Leadership is W.A.R.

Real leaders “Work on the right problems, Ask the right questions, and Remove barriers to self-motivation.” Although I had practiced, spoken and written on these principles of leadership for the past 40 years, I had been reminded that most people do not share a common understanding of what to look for in a great leader for the greatest country in the world.

As a result, people vote for a candidate based on a single issue, party affiliation or the person who sounds, looks and acts most presidential. We usually elect the candidate who can best manage the politics of politics, the politics of the primary process and the politics of media perception. If we get a real leader it’s a bonus.

The professional campaign staffers know this, which is why they advise their candidate bosses to stay away from the big problems and bold solutions unless pushed into a corner. And even then, they are advised to be as non-committal as possible so as not to be held accountable later. For instance, saying that we need to “reform the tax code” is a long way from committing to lead the effort to “replace the tax code” with a simpler system.

The public is starved for leaders who will inspire us with real solutions instead of boring us with more political commentary. Non-commitment, avoiding the big problems, offering no bold solutions, and the usual political rhetoric are all barriers to a self-motivated and supportive public.

Maybe the person who should be president is already a declared candidate, but they have not chosen to come out of their protective campaign shell. Maybe the person who should be president is not even in the race yet. And worse, maybe the person who should be our next president is not even on the political radar screen.

The next president should know that Leadership is W.A.R.