Issues Plaguing America

            Frankly speaking, my opinion is that the primary issues Americans must address, ultimately reside within the mentalities of the authoritative personnel throughout the public and private sectors.  Three things specifically?  Politics, leadership, and the individual.  What’s more, these three things—as obvious as it may be—are totally interrelated. 

First, in America, everyone is a politician and #LifeIsACampaign (P.E.A.C.E. to Big Chris Matthews).  Everything is based on the science of politics in America, if nowhere else.  That said, because this is true (and it is true because I said so), whether on Capitol Hill or at Walmart, individuals are constantly trying to get ahead one way or another, and oftentimes do not have the most meaningful motivation for their advancement.  Additionally, when people obtain positions of authority, it is easy for them to get caught up in the mere idea of having authority while being completely oblivious to the perpetual need to innovate, create and make a difference.  So the issue here is that the way of politics causes decision makers to make inadequate decisions, subconsciously or consciously seeking popularity more than reasonable solutions to problems—there is just too much politics.   

            Next, it does not seem to me that individuals in authoritative positions fully understand that these positions require authentic leadership abilities.  A leader does not always make the most popular decision, a leader is not always out front showing off, and a leader must often work in ways others are either unwilling to or lack the ability to.  There are a number of people in authoritative positions that think they have no business performing certain duties once they have obtained their position.  However, I know, firsthand, that seeing a superior get his/her hands dirty can be the most motivating experience for subordinates.  As a person in a position of authority, your job is to motivate people to do things a certain way by using your ability to lead, not only the power of your position.  This is a perspective, in my opinion, that does not seem to be a prominent part of the overall thinking associated with public or privately organized entities, and like “too much politics”, causes inadequate decision making as well as problems ultimately remaining unsolved. 

            Finally, it is imperative that an individual in a position of authority possess all of the above knowledge, wisdom and understanding, which will be apparent in his/her everyday conversation and actions.  If it is not noticed that an individual is equipped in this way, he/she is absolutely the wrong person to assume the responsibilities of an authoritative position.  Moreover, an individual should make an honest self-assessment to determine if they are aligned with all of the above before they even consider accepting the responsibilities of such a position.  Individuals must be honest with themselves about themselves, and also about others they may have the responsibility of appointing.  When individuals disregard the holistic perspective presented here, we simply have the wrong individual in an authoritative position, which is most certainly an issue I believe Americans must work diligently to resolve in order to be more effective in resolving the more noticeable issues.