“People clearly voted for Republicans in this election!”
“Voters clearly voted against Democrats!”
“Americans voted for change!”
Today those claims are being made.
And they are wrong.
People voted for improvement. If they believed a candidate could make things better, they cast their vote to give that candidate a chance.
And if things don’t get better, they’ll vote them out at the next opportunity.
If there’s one thing the current administration has demonstrated, it is that not all change is good. If people agreed that the changes in the past two years were all good, the outcome of the elections yesterday would have been different.
But a warning to Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike: once you’ve been given your chance, you must prove yourself.
Rhetoric is easy; results are hard.
Promises have been made, now progress must be made.
Here’s my advice to those newly elected and those re-elected. It is also good advice to leaders outside the political fray:
Arrogance is deadly. It blinds you to reality, and it distances you from followers.
Easy fixes rarely work. Expedient and shortsighted solutions mortgage the future. Look for the long term-solution.
To win together, we must sacrifice together. Everybody wants to be fit but few want to exercise. We need leaders who will go with us to the gym and demonstrate that some discomfort and pain will be necessary to regain the health and vitality we once enjoyed.
Take an economics course. No matter how powerful you may be, gravity still pulls you down. The same is true for economic forces. There are certain realities and laws that can’t be negated by the powerful or the elite. Learn what they are.
In the end, I hope our votes have counted towards creating the improvement we all desire. While we disagree on the means, we all want to live in a brighter future where things are better for ourselves and our children.
Helping us create that future is what leadership is about.
Deadly accurate. While some are celebrating and some are licking the wounds, this is not the end, it’s just the beginning.
Politicians would be miles ahead to heed your sage advice. Ending earmarks would be a great place to start.
You are right, Mark. We’re seeing a sense of heightened participation in our government. This can be good. However, the answer is not in who we elect or who wins any race. We have to take matters into our own hands for our success. It is not up to any politician — no matter how sincere and caring that politician might be. Our success is directly dependent on the results we generate to help others.
Thank you for sharing your, once again, very astute observations and wisdom, Mark.
Speakers are just so smart!
When we are in front of an audience, our desire is to be of value, not to be concerned with the participant’s political parties.
It transfers outside the speaking business also, lets work to constantly improve our country and the lives of its citizens. Less competition, more co-operation.
So, we may all applaud our win.
Excellent post Mark…..this is the best part-
Arrogance is deadly. It blinds you to reality, and it distances you from followers.
Now…..will both sides throw arrogance out the window and work to serve their clients!
I very much agree. I think a majority of people voted their frustration that improvement hasn’t trickled down to improve the lot of ordinary people that are still struggling to make ends meet or get a job. Most people are ignorant about economic realities. The US didn’t recover from the Great Depression until our industry cranked up for World War II. This recession is going to take a while to undo, regardless of what the President and Congress do or don’t do. Everyone is cautiously hunkered down waiting for improvement, but no one wants to risk hiring more employees until they are sure that the economy is back on track. The arrogant politicians that think they have a mandate to block progress and blame the opposition will find themselves voted out just as fast as they were elected.