What is leadership?

I really disliked President Trump during the campaign of 2016. My loyalties and contributions shifted as the fabulous strong bench of the brightest and best narrowed, my final choice being Cruz, who is, I believe, still the finest speaker and sharpest guy in Congress. About 2 days after Trump was acknowledged as the Republican candidate, I realized although he was no prize personally, he was head and shoulders above the alternative. Time and again he has since proven me wrong about his abilities, intelligence and common sense, and I've seen his brashness, pomposity, energy and shady deals pay off, most recently this week as he seems successfully to be calling Europe to accountability, when 40 years of chiding and mealy mouthed pretty speeches by former presidents resulted in zip, nada, zilch.

I'm reading "Making a Difference; stories of vision and courage from America's leaders" by Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger. It's a collection of stories about what qualities make one a leader--people as different as Tammy Duckworth, Michelle Rhee, and Jim Sinegal. I see Trump's qualities in many of these stories. Sully is a much admired American hero, but if he were to run on a political ticket--either party--he would be roundly denounced.

Palin and Romney

The situation in Ukraine is one that needs an outside, respected leader to call together the European powers to see what can be done to save the Ukrainians from the Russian bear (which killed about 10 million of them in the 1930s and no one spoke up on their behalf). Unfortunately, the 2 we have who know world history and the role fuel plays in these aggressive actions were ridiculed and silenced by our pansy press and fumbling Democrats.

Guest Blogger Joan—she is no longer naïve, believes she must speak out.

“For a number of years, I allowed myself to naively believe that individual citizens couldn't make any difference in our country's destiny and that surely those in charge had our country's best interests at heart and would take care of things. I believed that all the heated political debate was useless and that no one was going to change anyone else's opinions on any political topic. While I still believe that last sentence, I have finally grown up enough to realize that a responsible, patriotic citizen cannot sit on the sidelines and watch his/her country be totally destroyed without at least speaking up and taking a stand, for whatever it might be worth. We have elected leaders who do not share typical, traditional American values and who do not have the experience necessary for the job. We have elected leaders who have no depth of character from which to draw for decision-making. This link is to an article that gives a morsel of hope to those of us who realize the jeopardy our country is in and hope to avoid losing our treasured way of life."

If the Nixon era should have taught politicians anything, it is that trust and credibility are essential to the presidency. Nixon's downfall was not so much in the petty thievery of his campaign researchers; it was the lying and cover-up that brought him down. With Obama, abuse of trust is the theme running through all the scandals. Ironically, the shear number of scandals is helping the president in the short term - there is scattershot investigative coverage rather than focused probing. The cumulative effect, though, is beginning to show. Americans bought into the president's campaign image of "hope and change," but lately, they instinctively know that "where's there is smoke, there's fire" and the "smoke" of all the scandals seems to come directly from fires at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In the Internet era, doubletalk doesn't work; there've been too many side-by-side comparisons of truth versus White House spin.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/06/obamas_loss_of_trust_and_credibility.html#ixzz2WaDlKgdu

What a lame comment—Obama on Thatcher

"She stands as an example to our daughters that there is no glass ceiling that can’t be shattered." —Obama on Margaret Thatcher's passing.

So that’s what she did?  Set an example for women?   So did Sarah Palin—who had no husband’s shirt tails to power like Hillary.   So did Jan Brewer—who stood up to the President.  So did Sgt. Kimberly Munley who brought down the Ft. Hood terrorist in “work place violence.” A lot of thanks they’ll get.

“I came to office with one deliberate intent: to change Britain from a dependent to a self-reliant society — from a give-it-to-me, to a do-it-yourself nation. A get-up-and-go, instead of a sit-back-and-wait-for-it Britain.”
Speech, Feb. 8, 1984

Compare Obama’s comment to John Boehner’s. “Margaret Thatcher, a grocer’s daughter, stared down elites, union bosses, and communists to win three consecutive elections, establish conservative principles in Western Europe, and bring down the Iron Curtain. There was no secret to her values – hard work and personal responsibility – and no nonsense at all in her leadership.”

If enough people note Obama’s lame tweet, he’ll probably have to put out something more comprehensive and truthful.

 

Some Christian books have no Gospel (good news)

This drives me crazy. My husband says I'm fighting a losing battle, he's heard me say it so often. Gospel-free Christian books. Christian "how to" books that are longer than the New Testament. Like Willow Creek's book on "Leading life changing small groups." Lots of mnemonic devices like: Mission statement--mandate, method, model, mechanism, means. Discipleship--Grace, growth, group, gifts, good stewardship. Leadership--Love, learn, lead. Chapters on structure, on leadership, on personal growth, group life, crisis care, and resources. What's missing? The Gospel.

No one was better at making lists, giving tips, and admonishing the slackers than Paul, who basically structured the Christian church after the resurrection of Jesus. But he also began with the basic gospel before he launched his topic so they were all on the same page and had the correct foundation.

I've checked the website, and there is a 2007 revised edition--the one in hand is 1996. However, it's virtually impossible to tell the good news, without the bad--sin and God's wrath. And modern day evangelicals think it's unkind or harmful to point out sin. Therefore, they have nothing to offer except a mechanical list of rules to follow to change or modify behavior.

The alien in the White House

When I commented on my blog some time ago that Obama was not "one of us" I received such vicious, race-baiting comments I think I took that essay down. People Liberals think you're talking about race or ethnicity, not character or patriotism. So I was glad to see Dorothy Rabinowitz's column in today's WSJ, "The alien in the White House" because she covers it all. The man doesn't know or respect our history--not even its failings. Who but the clueless about the spiritual base of the Civil Rights movement would turn Martin Luther King day into a national work day? Who but a man who had no respect for the military would make small talk to his audience before addressing a Muslim terrorist attack on our soil, on our military base? What President ever would jump into a purely local issue--behavior of police observing a break-in and call it racist without knowing the facts--but wait weeks and weeks to rally his subordinates in charge of the regulatory agencies to address an economy killing oil disaster? Who would go on an apology tour while we are still at war--or what commander-in-chief would all but ignore those wars he promised 3 years ago to end? Who but one who is an empty hollow shell, a man without a country, without an inner source, a complete narcissist, a man with no belief system except failed marxism, political grave of the spiritually dead. No, he isn't one of us. Nor is he in any traditional sense of the word, a leader.

Dorothy Rabinowitz: The Alien in the White House - WSJ.com

Obama and why the other Gulf has worsened

"Not wanting to attach the President's identity to an inevitable disaster is understandable as a political response, but not as one of a true leader. President Obama, who was nearly omnipresent during his first six months in office as the official spokesman for every matter from health care to the location of future Olympic games to the competence of the Cambridge, Massachusetts police department, had little to say in the first several weeks that oil flowed freely into the Gulf of Mexico. Some would say that criticizing the President for being too public earlier and too inaccessible later shows inconsistency. In actuality, such criticism rightly recognizes that the President has no concept of when his leadership is most needed."

More on this at Music City Oracle

A leader who has never led

"Obama is a cipher, an easy repository for the hopes and dreams of liberals everywhere...But if Obama avoided being battle-tested in 2004 by the grace of God, it's his own timidity that has kept his name clean since. Given his national profile and formidable political talents, he could have been a potent spokesman for Democratic causes in the Senate. Instead, he has refused to expend his political or personal capital on a single controversial issue, preferring to offer anodyne pieces of legislation and sign on to the popular efforts of others...Indeed, Obama is that oddest of all creatures: a leader who's never led. There are no courageous, lonely crusades to his name, or supremely unlikely electoral battles beneath his belt. He won election running basically unopposed, and then refused to open himself to attack by making a controversial but correct issue his own." Link here via Ali Sina.

Sina concludes Obama is a narcissist with a weak sense of self. That I don't know, however, the following is a fairly accurate description of some of his followers who feel personally attacted if you don't like him or think he is bad for America. I would like to see McCain-Palin win, but I don't feel personally attacted if you don't agree.

"The narcissist’s anger and intolerance is projected on his servile followers who also become angry and intolerant of criticism of their leader. Remember the sick symbiosis between the narcissist and his codependents? The followers get their narcissistic supply by elevating the status of their leader. The greater he looks, the better they feel. They see their glory is his glory. Conversely, when the narcissist is criticized, his followers become offended. They take those criticisms personally and their instinct of self defense is triggered. They will become vigilantes and will silence their critics through intimidation, bullying, mocking, threats and violence (like calling those who disagree with Obama, racists)."

The stealth candidate

And I thought Clinton was Slick Willy and Nixon Tricky Dick. Obama has them both beat because even his most ardent, naive supporters know very little about him. You can't judge a man by his character if you don't have a clue who he is.

"Time and again, the man who draws so openly on King's legacy refuses to sacrifice an iota of possible political support by taking a principled stand on matters of racial justice that King said are matters of right and wrong. Instead, Obama makes cryptic or general comments that leave his position on important racial issues ambiguous or unknown." Juan Williams in today's WSJ

Unfortunately, I think we'll be finding out who he really is very soon. Republicans have contributed to this by choosing a candidate whose biggest attraction seems to be he's not as far left as Obama and will be tough on national security and doesn't advocate killing helpless babies. I wish there were more.

Leadership and girls

Last night at dinner we talked about how we would advise a young woman going into our career field. One woman was a lawyer; one an elementary suburban school teacher; and one a high school teacher of special needs students in an urban system. My own advice would be to participate more in committee and leadership opportunities even if you hate it (like me), because for now, that's how you establish a network and climb the ladder (at least in library science).

I noticed that at career journal.com Sue Shellenbarger notes

There's evidence children and teens aren't getting as much practice at leadership as in the past. Only 1.5% of today's young college graduates have ever worked on a political campaign, based on a study of 40,000 recent grads by Robert Zemsky, a University of Pennsylvania professor, and Peterson's, a learning-resource unit of Thomson Corp., Toronto.

With today's huge high schools, the opportunities for young people to practice leadership roles in a small, familiar setting have dwindled. "There can only be one president of the senior class," and with 3,500 kids in a high school, that leaves out a lot of kids, says Barbara Schneider, a University of Chicago professor and author of "The Ambitious Generation."

That surprised me a bit, so I looked back--and the opportunities were there for me, particularly in high school, I just didn't like it. I was in 4-H and performed "demonstrations" even as young as 11 or 12; I was my church youth group (CBYF) president; I attended leadership workshops and seminars offered by my church's district; I was on the student council in high school; I think (but can't actually remember) that other organization I belonged to like band, Pepsters, and yearbook staff, probably had assigned offices. I was a camp counselor, and after high school got on a bus, travelled to California, and worked for a summer in a settlement house situation. I can't imagine that those opportunities aren't still out there, even at large high schools. However, when I got to college, I participated very little in extra curricular activities. For one thing, the competition had ratcheted up! To be an officer, or even a committee member meant long hours, and much more competition, and I just hated anything competitive. I suspect that like grades, there is today much more competition for positions of leadership. No, I have no one but myself to blame for not becoming a leader--I didn't like it. I much preferred the one-on-one with the students, the small group teaching, getting into research and publication, and supervising a staff of one or two people.

Every place of employment has opportunities for networking, and for lack of a better word, empire building. Yes, everything is political. Get over it! That usually means paying your dues with committee work or putting in time on task forces. Breathe deep. Exhale. Pray for direction. Sign up. Feel the power.