Perhaps Abe Lincoln or Winston Churchill come to mind. Perhaps Vince Lombardi or General George S. Patton. All these men were able to achieve extraordinary accomplishments, and three of the four during particularly dark times in history.
Definitions of Leadership are as numerous as recipes. While all of those definitions share similar traits, such as keen preparation, a foundational common thread is a deep sense of commitment to do something where there are no guarantees, and a duty and responsibility to a worthy mission. We live in a vulnerable world and to lead often means to take an unpopular route.
Leadership takes the courage to be imperfect and an ability to make a connection to the authenticity of the objective and relay that to those assigned to carry out the details. A good example of this is an orchestra conductor, successfully bringing together many individual performances into one of blended unity and execution.
A leader starts with a vision and must articulate that with clarity. He must stay the course and demonstrate the wisdom to make corrections when needed. A leader must exhibit the passion to get everyone singing from the same “sheet of music” or the mission will likely fail.
Outside of autocratic leadership, great leaders trust those who are delegated assignments and allow subordinates to get the job done without micromanagement. The best leaders hold those accountable for shortcomings and offer praise and gratitude freely to those who succeed.
While every orchestra must have a conductor, it is the musicians who actually get the work done. That work is accomplished through effective communication and cannot be accomplished without mastering the art of listening. Leadership is being able to effectively process the information at hand and deliver an understandable set of directives.
Decisions determine destiny.
Connecticut has suffered from a leadership void for years and the proof is our national ranking at the bottom of just about every financial metric. In a CT Mirror article the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, the state’s chief business lobby, cites 77% of businesses believing the state’s newly passed Family and Medical Leave program will harm their companies, with a further 53% saying the rising minimum wage will do the same.
These are the collective voices of many responsible for creating taxable wealth in the state. Government does not create wealth; it spends yours and that generated by businesses. Without a healthy private sector, Connecticut’s tax revenues will not be forthcoming. Who will pay to sustain our necessary state services?
My opponent publicly stated in 2018 that, “There’s nowhere else to cut.” I cannot accept that as truthful nor is that a statement of a leader. The position a Leader would take is not that we can’t cut state spending, but where and how much do we cut?