MOST WANTED: POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

Society today is in a leaderhip crisis.  If leadership is to be defined as the ability to influence people then trust is the foundation for leadership. Each scandal (as we’re witnessing in France) chips away at the trust people placed in their political leaders.

Integrity is the most crucial element of political leadership. Without this vital element, political  leaders cannot influence those who follow them. For political leaders to have integrity, their actions must match their words. Honesty from  political leaders has become very rare. Citizens’ expectations for their political leaders are now very low with a great deal of cynicism.

One definition of integrity is to be unified. Therefore, a person of integrity will not have divided loyalties nor are they actors. They do not suffer from duplicity or hypocrisy. They are single-minded in their pursuits. They are open and have nothing to hide . Integrity is the poltical leader’s navigation system used to navigate when making decisions. These are decisions which are made daily. Integrity lays the groundwork for making these decisions. Integrity pulls the person together and unites the personality into a whole. It provides for consistency in the personality which leads to consistency in decision making. Integrity is the foundation for that attribute known as character. This is what people are seeking from their political leaders today.

Political leaders must hold themselves to a high standard. They cannot tell the followers to do as they say and not as they do. This mentality will quickly destroy credibility among followers.  Image is what is presented to the outside world while integrity is what is on the inside. As long as there is congruity between the two, there is no problem for the leader.

Cleverness relies upon tricks and gimmicks which never lasts. Clever political leaders never last. History is littered with fallen political leaders who relied upon their guile rather than integrity. Political leaders must earn trust to be effective. Sincere political leaders do not have to convince their constituents of their sincerity . Integrity is sincere and gives no false appearance. These are political leaders whose words match their actions.

Strength of character is not won overnight. It is a rare commodity in a world focused on instant gratification. What the modern world lacks are role models of integrity. The meaning of integrity has been corrupted by culture. To test one’s integrity individuals must simply ask if they are being true to themselves, their leaders, and their followers.

The lack of integrity in all aspects of modern culture has created a leadership vacuum. This lack of integrity has created divided loyalties, hypocrisy, and ambiguity. Integrity stresses the importance of unity of the personality and wholeness of the person. For political leaders to be effective, they must have influence. To have influence, they must have integrity. To have integrity, the political leader’s words must match his/her actions.