The Great Divide

It is disheartening that the word “compromise” no longer seems to exist in our American vernacular.  In my 60 years, I have never seen our nation more divided than it is right now.  From efforts to impeach the President, to the handling of a deadly pandemic, the citizens of the United States appear to be at odds with one another across the land.

COVID-19 has drawn a wedge even further into this divided nation.  Do you believe reports from the Center for Disease Control or the White House Administration?  Has China purposely created the virus to thin out their population and those of other countries, or was it dumb luck that the virus was nature-made and rapidly spread because of its makeup?

Racism has splintered our nation to extremes.  The Black Lives Matter movement has been countered with All Lives Matter.  Network news is perceived as a Democrat vs. Republican.  Social media platforms portray “I am right, you are wrong” comments and posts.

Neighbors are no longer neighborly.  At grocery stores, citizens are screaming at one another because they differ in opinion.

Violence on the streets, protests, killings, police brutality, disobedience of the law, dismissing of other’s rights, demonstrations of power and force, point the finger directly at the great divide our nation is facing today.

You can blame the left or the right, politics or rhetoric, the majority or the minority. Still, the bottom line is that no one is willing to sit at the table, embrace differences, and find standard solutions.
  
Wouldn’t it be nice to see the Democrats and Republicans work in a cooperative nature to heal the discourse of recent years?  What if the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control, the White House administration, and other countries from around the world came together to contain COVID-19, put forth all efforts to discover a vaccine, and share the credit once it was eradicated from the planet?  How nice would it be to see brothers and sisters of all races, colors, and creeds walk hand-in-hand rather than on opposite sides of the street?  What if courtesy and respect of one another became the norm once again?

This nation is better than we are right now.  We have demonstrated countless times over the centuries that we can work together for the common good.  We are talented, intelligent, and energetic.  There is no one individual, legislative body, organization, or group that can build a bridge of togetherness.  It is going to take all of us to respect our differences and work together to heal close the gap of our great divide.

A Common Man

Taking the Lead

Let’s face it, being a leader can be tough at times.  We manage employees, maintain budgets, provide reports to senior executives and board members, and make hard decisions that could have a ripple effect on the entire organization.  Especially during this tough time of uncertainty, we must lead in a calming manner that reassures those under our care that the business will survive and come out stronger in the end.

But what about you?  Who do you go to for advice when making tough decisions?  Do you have a senior that you report to?  Do you rely on the wisdom of a fellow leader that understands what you are up against?  Do you have a mentor or life coach that you can count on to help guide you during difficult times?  Do you have a partner that is willing to hear you out and provide their perspective?  As a leader, who is looking out for your well-being?  It’s a fair question to ask considering that you do the same for your employees.

In the tough times, or even when life is coasting along, as a leader it is imperative that you surround yourself with supporters and confidants that you can count on to be a stable source of guidance and advice.  For your own sake, you should not try to take on the world without knowing that someone else has your back.  You have the back of your employees, right?  Why should you not ensure that you have the same amount of support for yourself?

If you have not done so already, seek out others that understand the responsibilities that rest upon your shoulders every day.  Find a mentor or coach that can take the time to talk things out with you and provide some sage advice.  You are not alone, my friend.  There are other leaders just like you that understand what you are going through.  Just as you reassure your employees, feel rest assured that there is help out there for you as well.  Go out and find it, leader!