[Neurons] 2011 Meta Reflections #35

[L. Michael Hall]

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Meta Reflections 2011 - #35

July 27, 2011

 

 

THE FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP

 

You have probably heard about the current financial crisis here in the US-
the problem of the debt ceiling and the armageddon of "the nation defaulting
on its loans."  Or at least that's what the media and numerous politicians
have focused on and defined as "the problem."  It is not.

 

Not surprisingly, we have lots of politicians who want to raise the debt
ceiling.  In other words, they want to spend more and throw more money at
the problem!  Imagine that- a politician wanting to spend more!  And where
will they get more money to spend?  Well, if they can't raise taxes (not
wise during a recession), then they will simply print more money.

 

Great idea!  Just go down to your basement, turn on the printing press and
print more money.  Why didn't I think of that when I designed the Inside-Out
Wealth program?  That would have made it so easy for people to become
wealthy!  Now all we need is a government program that will provide us these
printing presses.  Ah yes, we need another stimulus package to help people
buy printing presses!

 

Of course, if we print more money, that will inflate the money that we
already have .  And that will devalue the dollar so it is worth less and
then create inflation for all of the other things we buy.  And that will, in
the long term, weaken the economy.  So maybe that's not such a great idea.

 

So what is the problem?  If these are the symptoms, what is the real
problem?  Spending.  We spend more than we have, more than we take in.
Actually, a lot more!  Some statistics about how much we are spending:

            Under Clinton, the US Government spent 547 million dollars every
day.

            Under Bush, that went up to 1.6 billion dollars every day.

            Under Obama the numbers have gone up to 4.1 billion dollars
every day!

 

Yes, this is a problem.  So why are we spending more than we have?
Promises.  Politicians promise more than they can deliver.  They have made
promises to constituents and they stick "earmarks" into bills to pay off for
the vote and loyalty of a certain group of people.  And why do the
politicians promise more than they can deliver and then spend more than we
have?  Because there's no limit, no consequence like bankruptcy or jail So
there's no consequences, nothing to stop them from over-spending.  Unlike
the States, the Federal government doesn't have a law requiring a balanced
budget.  Now there's an idea-living on a balanced budget, you spend no more
than you take in!

 

Well, there hasn't been consequences until now.  Now, the over-spending has
grown so much that the consequences are now beginning to show up.  And as
people are waking up to the problem, they are asking for some fundamental
solutions.

 

Now you and I cannot spend trillions, billions, or millions or even a measly
few hundred thousands that we don't have.  Nor can we just print more money.
They would throw us in jail if we did that!  And why don't we stop all of
this non-sense?  Because of the failure of leadership.  Ah, yes, finally I
get to the subject and title of this article!

 

Leaders (and politicians ought to be leaders, shouldn't they?) have a dual
responsibility.  One, to awaken possibilities of a bright future and bring
out the best in people so that we can move over the gap of where we are now
to the bright future we envision.  Second, to articulate the reality of
where we are now and challenge people to face and make the necessary changes
so that we can avoid a more painful and problematic future.  This is the
Axis of Motivation from the Axes of Change Model.  First there is the Toward
Positive Values as a leader awakens people and so plays the role of Awakener
as a leader; then there is the Away From Negative Values as the leader
confronts and challenges people from the role of Challenger.  Both roles are
required of every holistic leader.

 

Now politicians who are unfit to lead do the former and ignore the latter.
This is the disastrous formula for more and more unrealistic hopes and
expectations as they promise and over-promise and tell people what they want
to hear ... but never tell the truth.  They never confront constituents with
reality, with the constraints and facts that are looming in the background
demanding change.  Unscrupulous politicians lack the courage to face reality
for what it is.  Addicted to approval, applause, and fearful of disapproval
and lower pole ratings, they refuse to make the hard choices and take a firm
but compassionate stand.

 

Here's a hard fact, a constraint of reality that the majority of American
politicians seem unable to face:  No individual, no family, or country can
continue to spend more than it has.  Do that and eventually there will be
bankruptcy, inflation, and economic ruin.

 

So the problem is not the "debt ceiling," or default.  The core problem is
politicians over-spending.  So what is the cure?  Reality.  Facing the facts
as they are and making hard choices lest the over-spending, the printing of
money, the devaluing of the dollar, the inflation, etc. rise up and shock
us.  You have to control your own finances.  I do.  Every family has to
learn how to manage the resources that they have.  It's a matter of
discipline with eyes-open wide to reality.

 

The failure of leadership in our politicians is a failure of discipline.
They have failed to control spending, to manage the waste and abuse, to set
up accountability structures so that what they say will match what they do.
It's disconcerting that so many politicians have learned the gracious art of
saying what you want to hear to win votes and gain positions of influence,
but not the tough side of leadership.  They haven't learned the courage
skill of stepping up for principles even if it puts their career at risk.

 

But does leadership and discipline living go together?  Is that a synergy
that's even possible?  Hmmmm.   Now there's another idea.

 

 

 

L.  Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Neuro-Semantics Executive Director  ----   <http://www.neurosemantics.com/>
www.neurosemantics.com

P.O. Box 8

Clifton, CO.  81520 USA                             ----
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1 970-523-7877                                               ----
<http://www.meta-coaching.org/> www.meta-coaching.org

 

     

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