Accountability is a key component to leadership, but placing the blame on others for failure has become commonplace in today’s society. You need look no further than our elected officials if you doubt what I am saying. I have always felt that political candidates are fantastic people when they’re running for office, but things change quickly once they’re elected. They become hostages to their “party” and have to tow the line, or they risk not getting elected again. Many will do whatever it takes to maintain the perceived power and influence they have over their “constituents”. There are always exceptions to that rule, but this is true in most cases.
I encourage everyone to really listen when politicians speak. They can talk for 10 minutes and say absolutely nothing that means anything. When was the last time you heard an elected official stand in front of a microphone and accept responsibility for something going wrong? This is not a biased political post…I attribute this theory to those from all political affiliations.
It is always easy to point the finger at someone else when things go wrong, or goals are not reached. This is not leadership, but this is happening too often!!!
Lack of accountability is spreading like wildfire across the country and that has contributed to continuous political failures, an increase in crime, and the perception of infallibility among those who choose to commit crimes. There is little deterrent for someone who victimizes others and is immediately released from jail as a result of “no cash bail” policies. Who creates these ill advised policies or laws that fail to adequately protect our citizens from violent and often repeat offenders? Correct, those same politicians who are quick to blame others for their failures. These policies may not impact you unless or until you or a loved one is a victim of a crime…
We are legalizing drugs, which tells our children that they must be okay…while we lament the loss of thousands to lethal overdoses each year. Who is to blame for this epidemic? You could point your finger in so many directions including, but not limited to political messaging, lack of border security, police staffing and budget cuts, inadequate rehab facilities, soft on crime policies…and I could go on and on and on. That is the point of this blog, why keep pointing fingers? When will people get together to find viable solutions to address these problems? I don’t see it happening anytime soon, but if and when it does, personal accountability will need to be part of the solution. Without it, the finger pointing will continue and more lives will be lost.
We need to right this ship and start holding people accountable for their actions. This can be done in a fair and equitable manner, but this country was built on laws that are supposed to protect our citizens. The inability or unwillingness to enforce our laws will only lead to lawlessness and chaos. This once great nation will crumble if we sit back and allow it to. We are a divided country and only true leaders can bring about a vision and path forward that will sustain and strengthen what our forefathers worked so hard to create.
We all need to stop pointing the finger at others and accept responsibility for the things we can control. If all of us strive to be better leaders and people, perhaps that too will spread. Most of us are not in a position to change the world, but we can certainly change our little corner of it. Stand up, own it, hold yourself and others accountable, and drive on. It can be as simple as that.
