Leadership
Those who lead
By David L. Maack
As I write this, I am in the midst of the emotional ups
and downs one experiences when they are running for public
office. Today the local newspaper published an article
contrasting my opponent and me. Although the article
was fair, this newspaper now allows people to post on
a blog anonymously and it's not always easy reading that
you are a “loser” and that people should vote for the
other guy.
This
past Fall, one of my elders gave me the name Na-Gah-Way-Wi-Nini
which means He Who Leads. I am humbled by that name
because it is a name that I must now live up to. Leadership
comes with great power but also great responsibility and
your actions are always on display for all to see. Frank
Fools Crow said, “Remembering the leader is a hollow
bone that the Creator uses to do good for His people.
His life is for His people. His life is dedicated to them
and serving them.”
Some people are born with an innate ability to lead. Others
learn how to lead over time. And yet others have
leadership thrust upon them in times of crisis. Over
the years, there were times when I have sought out leadership
positions and there were times in which leadership positions
sought me out.
I
am not sure if one should aspire to be a leader…at least
not before counting the cost. Charles de Gaulle
said this about leaders, “The price they have to
pay for leadership is unceasing self-discipline, the constant
taking of risks, and perpetual inner struggle…whence that
vague sense of melancholy which hangs about the skirts
of majesty.”
As Fool's Crow said, a leader's life is for the people.
Too often, people seek leadership positions for
the wrong reasons —power, adulation, self-gain to
name a few. If
one is a true leader, they must be willing to give of
themselves.
Today,
“leaders” or should I say “politicians”
rely upon focus groups and polling to determine what their
position will be on any given issue. One may say
“Great, he's willing to listen to the people” but sometimes,
no often, real leaders must make decisions which are unpopular
but for the greater good or to protect those who are marginalized
or have no voice.
Six
years ago (2001), I won my election for alderman by a
3 to 1 margin. Not bad for a political novice. That
night I said, “Today the City Council, tomorrow
the White House.” Well, not really but I did
think that running for higher office could be in the picture…until
I woke up.
Someone
told me that no matter how well you do, the next day your
approval rating drops to 50 percent. I believe that
there are several reasons for this. First, people
have expectations. In reality, no man or woman can live
up to the expectations of other people.
That
first week, I had a flurry of phone calls and it amuses
me that people think that you can do more than you really
can. From neighbor complaints to speeding cars,
they want you to fix their problems. I also realized
just how powerful I was when I tried to get a stop sign
installed. I was shot right down.
And sometimes there is nothing you can do. You also
become a target when you stand up on the side of justice.
I chair our Public Safety and Licensing Committee
and this past year and a half, we have taken steps
to shut down problem bars in the community. It is
not an easy process and it can be quite costly. Needless
to say, there were some, including one of our colleagues,
who resisted the steps we were taking.
However,
we shouldn't have been surprised that some would resist
what we were doing. Peter addressed that when he
wrote, “Live such good lives among the pagans that,
though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your
good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us”
(1 Peter 2:12).
It's funny that many times when you are doing what's right,
you're accused of doing wrong. But that's because
we live in a fallen world in which justice is perverted.
Isaiah wrote, “Woe to those who call evil
good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light
for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter”
(Isaiah 5:20).
Another
reason a leader becomes a target is because they are elevated
to a certain degree in the eyes of man. No one knows
what an elected official or a leader goes through unless
they have been there. I used to chuckle when I saw
friends going through pre-election jitters, even though
they had nothing to worry about, until I went through
it.
People
throw stones because they can. And unfortunately,
stone throwers are usually the one's who often see the
glass half empty rather than half full. Some are
jealous because you have a position or title and they
don't. And then there are those who aspire to the
position that you have and will do anything to get it.
When I chose to run for alderman, I talked with the current
alderman and waited until he was ready to give up the
seat. There are times when it is prudent to wait
and then there are times in which you must challenge the
status quo. We don't own these seats, they have
been entrusted to us and I for one do not want to overstay
my welcome. Nor do I want to go before it is time.
I
dislike the term “politician” because it sounds
so sleazy. I much prefer the term “elected official”
but I acknowledge that there are politicians and there
are leaders.
I
look at recent campaigns for the state senate, for governor
and for the state supreme court in Wisconsin and the campaigns
have become so negative. Good people are made to
look as if they are unethical and corrupt and so much
mud is slung that no matter who wins, both come out of
it bloody, bruised and dirty. One must ask, “Is
it worth it? Do I really want to put my family through
that? Do I want to explain to my children why people
are saying things about me that are untrue?”
A leader is one who is willing to serve, not for selfish
gain or for some kudos but because they genuinely care
for the people. But how can you care for those who
will turn on you so quickly if you do not do what they
want you to do? Yet all through history, there have
been men and women who have challenged the status quo
and have stood up, against great odds, and made a difference,
even in the midst of great opposition and resistance.
Leaders
are those who are in it for the long haul. They
are not self serving.
I am reminded of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Drum Major Instinct
speech in which he said, “If you want to be important
—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful.
If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize
that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
That's a new definition of greatness. And this morning,
the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition
of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because
everybody can serve....”
Several years ago, many Milwaukee area politicians lost
their jobs over a pension scandal in which they created
a system in which they and other employees would benefit
generously upon retirement. The long term impact
of that decision has left Milwaukee County in dire financial
straits.
If
you truly are making decisions in light of their long
term impact you will alienate somebody and the longer
you are in office, lots of somebodys. The hardest
part of being in a leadership position is knowing people
on both sides of an issue and having to make a decision
in which one side wins and the other loses. There
have been many times I have been on the winning side of
an issue and still felt bad at the end of the night because
I knew somebody wasn't happy with the decision that was
made.
I
grew up watching Joe Andrea, a pro-life democrat who represented
Kenosha in the State Assembly and the State Senate. Joe
was the type of guy everybody liked and he was probably
the most popular politician to come out of Kenosha. In
Madison, he made friends across the aisle and one friend
was a Republican assemblyman from Elroy, WI who went on
to become Governor of Wisconsin.
Even
though Joe was a Democrat and Tommy Thompson was a Republican,
they were best of friends. In fact, Joe had considerable
influence with the Governor and shortly after he was sworn
in as Governor, my friend Denis Milutinovic and I were
at the State Capital visiting Joe and as a lark, we asked
if he could get us in to meet with the new Governor.
Now
keep in mind that most governors have a tight schedule
and two guys from Kenosha don't just walk into the Governor's
office without an appointment but by golly, Joe got us
an appointment and we met with Governor Thompson.
I learned a valuable lesson from Joe Andrea—it is
better to build bridges than burn them.
I
think sometimes it would be easier if I sat back, shut
my mouth and went with the flow. But if I did that,
I could not live with myself because I would just be warming
a seat. Leadership is about serving, it's about
leading, it's about making hard decisions, even though
there is a price to pay and it's about being true to yourself.
Life is not a game and it's far too short to be
caught up in petty politics.
Teddy
Roosevelt said it best when he wrote: “It is not
the critic who counts, not the man who points out how
the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could
have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who
is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust
and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and
comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms,
the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause;
who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high
achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least
fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never
be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory
nor defeat.”
David L. Maack (White Earth Ojibwa) is
an alderman in the City of Racine, Wisconsin. He
is also the Racine County Emergency Management Coordinator
and he holds credentials through the Assemblies of God.
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