6 September, 2018 2 2 Comments

One More Thought Inspired By McCain

September 6, 2018 By 2 Comments

Amen.

 

“There are people whose leadership cannot be measured in their lifetime,” –Nancy Koehn, Harvard leadership professor and author.

Professor Koehn was speaking about Sen. John McCain who passed last month at the age of 81.

Rebel. Maverick. Patriot. War hero. McCain was all that and more.

His passing reminded us of what we have in common, what binds us together as Americans.

Democrats and Republicans rushed to praise Sen. McCain and for good reason. He was a special type of leader who spent a lifetime in service to his country.

We are living in age where service is either ignored or disparaged and that is not only wrong it’s deeply damaging.

We are attacking institutions, ideals and the notion of service through labels (“career politician”), irresponsible social media posts and by excusing reprehensible behavior as necessary to shake up a broken system.

We lose an awful lot when we allow these social spasms to pass without comment. We risk the loss of a common purpose and mission. We gamble with the loss of important standards and ideals and we put at risk the ability to take pride in our nation and its achievements when we trade decency for short term political gain or retribution.

Senator McCain’s passing reminds us how important it is to attract and retain serious people in service to our country.

I would argue that goes for cities and communities as well.

We need to attract and retain talent on the local level in order to build better communities for everyone.

I have always been enamored of leadership. I’ve seen what it can do to change a place—be it a neighborhood, a non-profit, a city or a business.

As a result, I’ve kept a close eye on leaders and watched to see how they make positive change occur and more importantly last.

But the importance of leadership never wanes, even when (maybe especially when) you achieve success. There is always a need to fill the pipeline with talented, dedicated and effective leaders.

If you fail to fill the pipeline no lead is safe. You will regress. If you fill the pipeline and view the development of people as the most important mission in the world than you will guarantee progress and success.

It’s a simple concept. But very hard to put into place.

So when I see cities, businesses, non-profits, neighborhood associations or schools regress it’s almost always a leadership issue. The symptoms vary, but the root cause is usually the same.

Every endeavor has its blips, setbacks, mistakes, errors etc., good leadership figures it out and overcomes.

4 September, 2018 0 Comments

Good Guys (And Gals) Do Not Finish Last

September 4, 2018 By Leave a Comment

John McCain’s passing prompted a national conversation. Will it yield results?

In the end the good guys win.
Oh they may lose a few battles, they may endure a few bumps and bruises but in the end their goodness wins.
That was the feeling I had while watching John McCain’s magnificent funeral at the National Cathedral.
Senator McCain’s death reminds us of the importance of bipartisanship, the merits of a good fight for a just cause and that there is another path to take. Away from partisanship. Away from rancor and division. Away from meanness and cruelty.
It was a parting gift from a great man. Will we seize it?

We will reset our course and summon our better angels or we will head into November and continue to tear each other apart?

I know what the right course is. Most people do.

But we need our political leaders to actually lead for a change, to make a fundamental choice to be principled but decent, to find a way forward and not succumb to the same old tired divisions.

The benefit of the better angels should be self evident. Who do you want to do business with: a tough but honest person who treats his employees and customers with kindness or an egomaniac who oversees a dysfunctional culture?

Travis Kalanick, the founder of Uber, built a brilliant platform but was ousted because his “bro culture” proved toxic.

Harvey Weinstein may have been a great film producer but his abhorrent and reprehensible behavior toppled his empire.

These days, the volatile hot-headed Elon Musk finds himself scrutinized for his narcissistic behavior that threatens to undermine the brilliance of Tesla.

If he or other despots don’t change their ways, they will fail. Because in the end that is the only outcome for those who go it alone, can’t get along with others, bully, berate and boast.

Oh they may enjoy a run. They may go far but ultimately they will be hoisted by their own petard as the saying goes.

That goes for CEOs of multinational companies, owners of small businesses, presidents and small town mayors and council members.

If you think you are the smartest person in the room let me assure you, you are not.
If you think you can bully and intimidate your way through life let me assure you that someday you will run into someone who will not abide your behavior.

You will be called out.

You will be exposed.

Your success will be ephemeral, not lasting.

John McCain reminds us of that truism. He was a good man whether or not you agreed with his politics.
The world will miss John McCain. He gave us a much needed moment of unity.
We need that moment to become a way of life, a value and belief system that nobody dares to ignore or disrespect.

23 May, 2018 7 7 Comments

The Restless Wave

May 23, 2018 By 7 Comments

“Maybe I’ll be gone before you read this. … I’m getting prepared. I have some things I’d like to take care of first, some work that needs finishing, and some people I need to see … I made a small place for myself in the story of America and the history of my times. … The bell tolls for me. I knew it would … I hope those who mourn my passing, and those who don’t, will celebrate as I celebrate ,a happy life lived in imperfect service to a country made of ideals, whose continued success is the hope of the world. And I wish all of you great adventures, good company, and lives as lucky as mine.” -John McCain in his new book “The Restless Wave.”

 
John McCain is quite a man. 
If we can put partisanship aside– for just a moment– and focus on our common humanity, our love of country and basic empathy we might be able to agree that Senator McCain is an extraordinary man who has lived an “imperfect” but remarkable life. 
Personally, I don’t share much of his politics, but I admire much about him. 
I admire his patriotism. I admire his sincerity and I admire his willingness to be a maverick and speak his truth to power. Even if  it doesn’t mirror party orthodoxy—especially when it doesn’t meet party orthodoxy. 
People respond to Senator McCain not just because he’s willing to “stick it to the man” –as one of my Leadership Florida classmates used to say– it’s because he can be counted on to speak his mind regardless of circumstance or consequence. 
John McCain typically does not go along to get along—and on the rare occasion that he did—it cost him. I’m referring to his choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate in 2008 when he wanted to choose his friend Joe Lieberman. 
His illness brings to mind my late mother’s struggle with cancer. She had lung cancer that spread to the brain and so I empathize greatly with Senator McCain’s struggle. 
Cancer is a horrendous disease. And when it enters your brain it’s positively horrifying. 
But like my mother, John McCain is facing his fate bravely, with strength and dignity. He’s become a model of grace to so many in an era where grace is in short supply but desperately needed.
Regardless of political persuasion, I think most of us could agree that our cities, counties, school boards, state governments and federal government would be better off if they were populated by elected officials who spoke their minds, were willing to buck convention and had something more in mind than their next election. 
When I was elected to the Delray Beach City Commission in 2000, I found a quote in one of the city related magazines we used to get. 
Being an elected official was “a job to do, not a job to have” it read.
The quote grabbed me and so I clipped it out of the magazine and put it in my wallet where I managed to see it everyday. 
I strived to live up to the ideal—even if at times I fell short. After all, as Senator McCain reminds us, we are all imperfect. 
Still, when newly elected officials ask for advice I repeat the quote. And I often follow with something former Mayor Tom Lynch used to say: “vote your conscience. Be willing to lose an election if it means doing the right thing.” 
Too many officials at all levels of government don’t live up to this fundamental ideal. Too many go along to get along, refuse to speak their mind, stay silent when they need to lead and then wonder why nobody respects them. Too many spend their precious time in office rewarding friends and punishing enemies. Then one day, it’s over and we are all left to wonder: what did they do to help the people they were elected to serve? In too many cases, the answer is not much. When they fail, we the people bear the brunt.
I may not agree with Senator McCain on many issues. But I sure do respect him. So do his colleagues from what I’ve been told by people who would know. 
We could use more politicians who stand for something (even if we don’t agree with that something), speak their minds, vote their conscience and understand that public service is a job to do, not a job to have.