Question of Leadership

     For the past 3 years I have heard the repeated refrain of "This country lacks leadership from this president". I've heard it from segments of both sides of the political spectrum. But what makes a good leader?

     The definition of leadership, by necessity, changes to match the circumstance at hand. We are hearing from the right and even from some on the left that business experience is the form of leadership we need today. The problem with that is, in the current political environment, the divide is substantially different than what is faced in business. In business a leader is faced with competition and is backed by employees and investors who have the same goal in mind, which is financial gain. This goal is clear and easily defined and quantified. In the challenging present day politics there is no competition, only opposition. The mission of those that form this opposition is not to reach a common goal that benefits everyone, but to ignore the general welfare of the country in the short term to gain what they hope is a long term grasp on power.

     By that measure, have we ever had a true leader? Has there ever been a military leader that has been able to change the goals of our enemies? No, we fight wars and kill the opposition until they feel it will be too costly in lives and money to continue. They surrender but seldom if ever deny their beliefs. Is there a sports coach who has, by virtue of his leadership, caused the other team to give up? No, the game is played on until the time runs out and the score is tallied. But the other team keeps playing through to the final whistle. The losing team walks away thinking wait until next time. So are those generals and coaches not good leaders, are they failures?

     To say that this president lacks leadership skills based on the inability to change the minds of an ideologically entrenched opposition is to imply that anyone who has led a select group against a group that is fundamentally programmed to oppose anything offered, regardless of historic agreement to those offerings, and not changed that groups beliefs is a flawed leader. Why has there been a new definition of leadership been written for this president alone? A leader can lead only those that are looking for leadership, who envision a common goal, not those who live only to oppose.

     All successful presidents from the past, regardless of party, had cooperation from the the other side of the isle or would have never succeeded. This president has none of that cooperation.