Context for the Note & Proposal that follow:
My professional career has focused on leadership development and the related development of organizational effectiveness (e.g., teams, corporations, boards of directors). This includes my time in the US Navy, years ago, when I served as Supply Officer of a Navy Destroyer, and as an Admiral’s Aide. I have taught and written about leadership-related strategies for over 50 years. (My website: www.fritchconsulting.com)
On a recent Wednesday morning, in the Bible study Men’s Group meeting at my Evangelical Christian church, the assignment was to read and “unpack” Luke 16. Afterward, I saw an opportunity to communicate my insights to help resolve our nation’s leadership crisis without “being political.” This insight is at the end of my Note & Proposal for Growing Honor, Character & Civility Throughout America,” in the paragraph that begins, “So, what do I propose?”
Executive Summary
In the Note and Proposal that follows this Executive Summary, I hope to emphasize these essential elements:
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- Universal core human values are necessary for the prosperity and survival of humanity — and for the growth of innovation and wealth. I agree that sustaining civility, courtesy, and respect for all people is consequentially related to the practice of core human values — behaviorally and economically. The payoff can be disproportionately profitable!
- Examples of universal core human values: “The Golden Rule” (“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” — Luke 6:31); being respectful and mindful of the dignity of every individual; authenticity; honor; courage; gratitude; honesty and truthfulness in all dealings; being responsible and accountable for all transactions; being compassionate and caring in each situation; being fair and equitable in each relationship.
- The world religions support core human values as a foundation for human conduct and moral behavior. I am a Christian, and I believe that what I have listed as core human values are also Christian values and they are not exclusive to Christianity.
- Authentic leadership happens when the leader acts on core human values, embraces worthy goals, and influences others to dedicate themselves to and achieve those goals. (A key distinction is that worthy goals are not self-absorbed, selfish, greedy desires, regardless of how the greed is rationalized. By their nature, worthy goals are not personal money/power/fame/status-obsessions.)
- Leadership is learned primarily through emulation, and the character and integrity of the person being emulated (i.e., “the leader”) are vitally important to the quality of leadership and organizational effectiveness fostered.
- Can you imagine the quality of leadership that followers develop when they emulate a senior “leader” in a culture where flagrant bullies are regarded as authentic leaders? Or, where liars are revered? Or, where power, money, or fame are thought to be worthy goals?
- Leadership requires authority, but unfortunately, not everyone with authority is an authentic leader. Authentic leaders operate on core human values; they pursue truly worthy goals; they are not bullies.
- There is a crisis of leadership in the world, in which bullies are regarded as authentic leaders, yet authentic leaders have not been sufficiently effective in resolving the crisis of leadership. To be adequately effective, authentic leaders must model and teach civility, respect, and core human values in all they say and do, and refute bullies.
- Authentic leaders must be models of character, courage, and integrity in words and deeds for everyone to emulate. Authentic leaders must hold bullies accountable.
- For many years, I have studied, researched, taught, and facilitated the phenomenal act of getting to insight (i.e., insight: the unit of human brilliance). Human brilliance is supported by authentic leaders who generate cultures of sustainable human brilliance in psychologically safe workplaces.
- Alternatively, the performance capacity for an individual and for an organizational culture to manifest human brilliance (i.e., to be brilliantly insightful characteristically) is unfortunately obstructed by bullying authority and organizational cultures that threaten and dehumanize people.
- Today, we find America dissolving into authoritarianism. This must not be allowed to persist. I believe it is resolvable with the brilliant, strong collaboration of authentic leaders. Our democratic republic was founded on principles of liberty and self-governance, emphasizing moral character. I believe these principles are core to our national DNA. Because of the resilience of the U.S. national character, and respect for universal core human values and democracy, it appears to me that authoritarianism may not be inevitable in America.
- Consistently, my personal perspective embodies the core premise of the Declaration of Independence:
- “A prince whose character is marked by every act which would mark a tyrant, is unfit to rule a free America.” Written by Thomas Jefferson, this statement appears in the Declaration of Independence. It argues that a ruler displaying tyrannical characteristics is unsuitable to govern a nation built on principles of liberty and self-governance. This statement reflects the “enlightenment ideals” which were embraced by the Founding Fathers, emphasizing the importance of a ruler’s moral character and responsibility in a free society.
Note and Proposal on Growing Honor, Character & Civility Throughout America
What is happening in our country is not normal. America’s lack of moral clarity weighs heavily on my mind; it weighs on my heart, too. I am not interested in arguing about partisan politics, as these modes often lead to polarization and a waste of time and energy today. I want to unite, not divide. I prefer to inspire.I realize core human values are necessary to advance humanity. Today, my primary concern is the rapid erosion of the culture of our democratic republic and the erosion of the core human values that historically informed and shaped our nation.
Today, we could hardly have a President or his band of executive sycophants who are more incongruent with Jesus Christ and universal core human values.
Our nation is dissolving into authoritarianism. The current President fails daily — frequently and in flabbergasting ways — to operate in the best interest of our country.
I believe in the virtuous principles on which our nation was founded. With so many U.S. citizens, I have witnessed the decline in authentic leaders teaching and modeling virtuous behavior as political vitriol and confusion has increased.
How to act with authority — including how to be a leader — is primarily learned through emulation. People tend to emulate disproportionately individuals who have authority. Without wise discernment, people tend to regard anyone in authority as a leader. Thus, when there is a scarcity of “authentic leaders,” many people emulate those in authority who lack core human values. This is a dangerous condition altering social development. Bullies are not authentic leaders. The lack of regard for core human values when bullies and their sycophants are in charge guts core human values and vaporizes the performance capacity of a virtuous culture or enterprise.
As Christians, we find guidance for our lives in the Holy Bible, clarified and amplified by those who teach the Bible with integrity. Luke 16, is a passage that provides core human values-laden instructions from Jesus Christ. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:13)
I sincerely appreciate our church, our Pastor, and our congregation. I value our Men’s Group and find participating very stimulating. Yet there, each week, I experience the discord of our Bible study, and the culture being shaped nationally as the context for our conversations. The change in our national culture appears void of Christ’s teachings.
Recently, I contemplated how I feel about being a U.S. military veteran. When I was serving in the Navy, I was devoted to the principles of the U.S. Constitution and the Rule of Law — bedrock to the country I swore to protect with honor, with my life. I have become increasingly disturbed by the incongruence on “Main Street in America.” This incongruence threatens the character and integrity of all institutions that pursue missions of peace, kindness, generosity, respect, compassion, doing the right thing, upholding truth, and uplifting the world for everyone.
- I know that it takes authentic leadership (not mere authority) to bless, guide, protect, and inspire a better way — a way that heals fatal divisions while promoting human brilliance. We have many authentic leaders in the world, but in general, I do not think they are leading effectively enough. In fact, I believe we are in the midst of an existential crisis of leadership ineffectiveness.
So, what do I propose?
Not further political and social discord! I propose that we prepare and persuade authentic leaders to prioritize moral goodness in living and in Life, in words and deeds, more than ever before, persistently.
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I recommend that authentic leaders actively support and teach core human values every day (e.g., character, honor, honesty, integrity, kindness, compassion, generosity, helpfulness, fearlessness, brilliance, and respect for all). This is fundamentally needed more now than at any time I can remember.
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Far from assuming that people “get this without the need to be told or taught,” authentic leaders must repetitively teach and clarify the importance of core human values in all human endeavors at all times.
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Subsequently, always teach the tactics — specifically, “how to act” with moral wisdom and discernment — and model the distinctions cheerfully, kindly, and brilliantly. Authentic leaders can do this! For example, a tactical recommendation for just one small action — repeated many times — that will have a disproportionately large impact, is for leaders to conclude meetings with reminders like these: “Be kind out there.” “Be respectful of everyone.” “Be kind and helpful!” “Treat people as you want to be treated.”
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I propose that we prepare and persuade authentic leaders to prioritize moral goodness in living and in life in general, honorably, with respect for all people. I am ready to help authentic leaders prepare and act brilliantly.
I’d like to know what you think of the proposal I’ve made to increase the role modeling and teaching for being honorable and virtuous Americans. I am ready to move forward, and I believe that collaborating can be brilliant for us.
Respectfully,
Bruce W. Fritch