....“Thoughts from Under the Palm”....: This is too easy...

Saturday, July 3, 2010

This is too easy...

It would seem that the Senate has moved on to other issues that do not include unemployment legislation and the expiring benefits for jobless Americans. Nor has a realistic means of support been suggested for the projected 1.6 million people who will suddenly be without the means to purchase essentials. What issue could be of such importance to senators that the very survival of large numbers of the people that they represent is not their top priority? Apparently, politics.

I had not intended to target Congress yet again in this blog about leadership but this is too easy…and too necessary. Who should the Senate be representing if not the most needy residents of their states? In my home state of California unemployment hovers near 12.2%, which out of a population of about 43,310,433 people means well over five million of them are jobless and dependent upon unemployment benefits. Five million people! What could be the economics of ignoring their plight? Will it hasten recovery? It seems doubtful to me.

We all belong to gradually increasing and overlapping concentric circles of community: family, neighborhood, town, friends, colleagues, state, country, business and so on. Often these communities come into conflict and we find it necessary to prioritize one over another. Often such conflicts give rise to an ethical dilemma. In the case of Congress, the conflicting communities appear on the surface to be political party vs. constituents in need. It can be rationalized (and I'm sure it is!) that the greater good can be achieved by success at the polls leading to the institution of newer, better policies. But in so doing, by thwarting legislation of the current administration, these Congressmen are ignoring a greater need and responsibility as leaders, that of the huge numbers of unemployed. Fix the hole in the dam and then talk about whether it is in the right place on the river!

While the need for effective leadership in our country and the world grows, a void in leadership skills and tools is becoming increasingly apparent. As a leader, how do you make the right decisions for yourself? for the world? When looking at the ethical question, should it be about the greatest good, or about the greatest need? The Jones/Covrig decision making model suggests six questions when facing such dilemmas, including: "How important is the immediacy of this decision to other stakeholders?" and "How concentrated will the effects of this decision be on any one stakeholder?". While bias must necessarily effect the leader's consideration, particularly with so many powerful stakeholders involved, the totality of the responses to the six questions must identify the areas of greatest ethical intensity. Once established, it is time for the leader to look internally for personal honor and courage, and act.

Addressing an ethical dilemma can be difficult. But not recognizing that you face one is a travesty.

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Leadership Thoughts to Ponder

"If carbon dioxide continues to increase, the study group finds no reason to doubt that climate changes will result and no reason to believe that these changes will be negligible."

National Academy of Sciences Ad Hoc Study Group, 1979

"Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing."

Abraham Lincoln

"Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones."

Winston Churchill

"…Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”

Martin Luther King , Jr.

"If you wanted to create an educational environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a classroom."

John Medina

"I am confident that if we change the way we think about the environment, the value we place on the planet from an economic standpoint and the role that powerful industries play in our political systems, we can make a bold step forward toward a clean-energy future."

Al Gore

"If those of us concerned about climate change turn out to be wrong - but we refocus America anyway...our country will have cleaner air and water, lower energy bills, and healthier people. And what if the climate skeptics...who say climate change is a hoax turn out to be wrong - but we listen and do nothing?"

Thomas Friedman: Hot, Flat, and Crowded.

"Make no mistake: catastrophic climate change represents a threat to human security, global stability, and - yes - even to American national security."

U.S. Senator John Kerry

Helpful Books for Thinking About Leadership Education

What is Leadership Education Resources (LER)?

LER, a division of Rich Gamble Associates, is a think tank and resource center for those endeavoring to teach leadership, character, and values in schools. Whether writing, introducing, or administering a full school curriculum, a one year program, or seeking methods to enhance the skills of your current student leaders, Leadership Education Resources offers the organization, planning concepts, individual lesson plans, training methods, and even complete leadership curricula specific to your needs. Read Rich's article "Fostering Future Leaders" published in Independent School Magazine in Spring of 2009.