Wow, last week I did not know how timely the post regarding power was going to be. Especially the sentence "The skills that lead to obtaining power deteriorate once power is obtained". That seems to be particularly true of our former governor and the former head of the IMF. Both men have made the headlines lately and both held positions of great power and prestige. So I thought it might be instructive to talk a bit further about this whole power, bully, confidence issue.
How is it that they could fall so far so fast? The how is that they thought they that were invincible. They had paid staff and attorneys surrounding them helping to insulate and isolate them from their reality. These staff ran interference for them, spun stories and kept their secrets just that -- secret. We have seen the same story over and over -- here on a local level with the Realtor Michael Lyons and on a national level with Tiger Woods. People in positions of power lose all sense of themselves and in reality, they truly believe that they are too big to fail.
We see some of these same characteristics in our everyday leaders in government and other organizations. These leaders have surrounded themselves with "yes" people. These staff provide the same isolation and insulation as the outside high priced hired guns. These type of leaders only tolerate people who are loyal to them (or pretend to be) -- no matter what. Loyalists reap the rewards, while other employees with a wealth and depth of knowledge are pushed aside. Civil service is not so civil anymore. How is this patronage system working in state governmental organizations and other institutions?
Has anyone noticed that our institutions are failing as a result of this very self-centered -- what's in it for me leadership style? Everyday there is some expose on another state department: CalPERS, State Teacher's Credentialing Commission, and the Military Department to name a few. Believe me there are many more departments that haven't made the headlines -- yet
As Marcus Breton so eloquently wrote in the May 11, 2011 edition of the Sacramento Bee regarding Governor Schwarzenegger, "We willingly chose celebrity over capability. We chose slogans over beliefs; being photogenic over experience; being opportunistic over smarts...he continued with "Every day, individuals, small businesses, corporations and governments are run off the rails by people with their eyes open".
We are beginning to see the aftermath of this self serving power -- state government and other entities are beginning to deteriorate -- they have been "run off the rails". Can we as workers and taxpayers really afford to continue to tolerate this leadership style? I personally think not. Let's not be hoodwinked by false charm and false promises anymore.
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