“When a man (or woman) assumes a public trust, he should consider himself (herself) as public property.” Thomas Jefferson
Welcome to installment number six of my leadership celebration of America 250. If you are just joining me, I invite you to visit my earlier installments found right here in my Substack account. This year along with celebrating my country’s 250th Birthday – the Semiquincentennial in grand fashion at the beach with family and friends, I’ll celebrate 10-years since my retirement from a 27-year military career. This year I’ll reunite with paratroopers I fought with in Afghanistan for a ceremony honoring our unit. A baby will be born; a parent will turn 80 and I’ll celebrate my forty year high school graduation. I might even get a tattoo! I have much to celebrate this year but the Semiquincentennial eclipses all of it. Because of this, I’ll celebrate the best way I know how – writing about leadership.
We are indeed the beneficiaries of the wisdom, courage, and leadership of our founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson’s quote above is but a small sampling of the leadership wisdom we can carry forward into our modern lives – a leadership contract of our nation’s founding.
Each time I assumed the mantle of leadership – and there were many in a career spanning four decades – military and private small business, I knew the position was not mine. I knew I was the steward of the position – the property of my organization and its people. When I became the commander of U.S. Army’s First Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, I knew I was one in a long line of past commanders, notably those who led the brigade in World War II and Vietnam. As a small business owner, I took the reins and the leadership role from the previous owners.
The same is true of your position. Whether supervisor or CEO your position was created by and for the organization to solve a problem and to fill a void of leadership. It was created to serve the people.
Power by “consent of the governed,” embodied in “we the people,” underscored the rebellion and revolution of 1776. Abraham Lincoln magnified this point in his Gettysburg Address, “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” I believe a business or organization should exist under the same ideals. Leaders serving under consent of the ‘governed’ therefore, must earn and maintain their trust. They are the property of their people and may be ousted should they break this trust. Guided by our founding, in 1989, President George H.W. Bush signed Executive Order 12674 which establishes the foundation of ethical conduct for all officers and employees of the U.S. Executive Branch. Of the fourteen core principals, I’ll highlight a few.
- You shall put forth honest effort in the performance of your duties.
- You shall disclose waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption to appropriate authorities.
- You shall adhere to all laws and regulations that provide equal opportunities for all Americans regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), parental status, national origin, age, disability, family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, and military service.
- You shall not use your public office for private gain.
- You shall act impartially and not give preferential treatment to any private organization or individual.
Apply this lesson of 1776 to your leadership. Operate each day knowing you are ‘public’ or organizational property. Be a leader “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Honor the position you hold because it is not yours – its your people’s.
Happy 250th Birthday America!
Rob
