Responsible Leadership

I went the movies last night with two of my favorite ladies. We saw Lincoln. Zach went to see it and LOVED it, so I was very excited to go. For those of you who don’t know, I was obsessed with Abraham Lincoln for a short time. I was in 5th grade and my very first research paper was about Kentucky. That’s where Abraham Lincoln was born, so for some reason, I became very interested in him. I decided I didn’t like fiction anymore and just wanted to read biographies. I even named my purse, which looked like a stuffed horse, Abe. Believe it or not, those were very popular at the time. Those were the days…

I think from that experience, I have a very child-like, idealized view of President Lincoln. The movie definitely reminded me that he was human but also that he made decisions based on what he felt was best for our country, no matter what everyone else around him thought. Too many leaders today make decisions based on what’s best for them. What will get me re-elected? What will get me promoted? What will cause me the least amount of work/headache? I have a very low tolerance for these people. Don’t be a leader if you aren’t prepared to think of others before yourself. Don’t take on a responsibility if you aren’t ready for it. There are great leaders out there, and I have had the pleasure of working with some of them. Did they always make the right decision? Probably not. But one thing they have in common is putting others ahead of themselves and thinking about what was best for the collective, and not what would get them ahead.

So on this day before Thanksgiving, one of the many things I am thankful for are responsible leaders. I pray that they will become even more prevalent and that people will recognize how important they are to our society and reward them for their efforts.I'll step off my soap box now and wish you a very blessed Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy time with friends and family if you are fortunate enough to be able to see them. If not, I hope you can feel the love even if it's miles away. Hugs to Zach, the Clicks, the Donahues, the Foxes and the Perigos. I wish I could see you all! 

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