I do not understand why anyone in their right mind would want to be President of the United States. There are currently 333 million people in this country. We have interests in all countries of the world. We are impacted by wars of other nations. We have our own problems of poverty, illness, homelessness, and illiteracy among other things. Who would want to sit in that seat of authority? The obvious reasons are power, position, and prosperity. But the level of responsibility and accountability are great, even overwhelming at times. Yet there are many who want the high place.
Every seat of authority has responsibility and accountability. Coaches, mentors, CEOs, business owners, church leaders, teachers, parents, and husbands are accountable to the people they lead. People depend on leaders to make good choices and wise decisions that impact their lives daily. Leadership is not based on titles. Leadership is based on having people in positions of authority who want the best for the people they serve. Greed, selfish ambition, or ulterior motives have no place in sound leadership; although they are often present in the mindsets of people leaders.
The lure of wealth, fame, and fortune seduces people, deceiving them to believe leadership is easy. The responsibility of managing lives is not easy. Achieving the mission and vision of the organization is paramount to its success. However, people are the organization, and the heartbeat of its core. How many businesses have closed their doors because they cannot hire enough talented people to work the vision? How many leaders quit because they soon discover the responsibility is not worth the stress associated with the duty of care? I met with a former non-profit executive who resigned his position because he got tired of wining and dining potential donors. In the non-profit world, ninety percent of the job description is raising money. Only ten percent is managing the operation.
There are also people managers who only care about their compensation. They don't care about the people responsible for their salaries, raises, and bonuses. They want the high place as long as it pays for their egos. Once that seat can on longer feed their egos, they move on, leaving the people to wrestle with the uncertainty of having a job or a place to work. There is no succession plan. If an extreme event or life change occurs, the people scramble to find a leader. Rarely does this person possess the qualifications to move the mission forward.
Before you start jockeying for a leadership position in your organization, give thought to the pressure you will receive sitting in the high place. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. The leader sets the pace of the race and fails if the people fall behind or can't keep up. People leaders equip and empower. Great leaders use their position of influence to give advancement opportunities to those they "serve." They make courageous choices, difficult, and unpopular decisions. Such decisions change the livelihood of people overnight. These are just a few considerations for those who desire to sit in the high place.
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