Political Leadership

Formerly, my articles discussed some legislation to help our nation as well as some history to alleviate the tension with our new president. Continuing on, what does it sum up to be? All of it is based upon leadership. We look to leadership during our busy schedules to tackle issues facing society. Although, we do not look to be led as sheep to the slaughter and treated like we are not the sovereign. Anyway, we hope in the elected to be leaders and manage, but also to serve. Being a servant is the purest and most definitive form of leadership and management. A leader helps by guiding, teaching, encouraging, uplifting, setting and following through on goals and visions of others like a mentor. If one thinks that being a big executive or top-line manager is superiority, that one is thinking in falsehood. In reality, they are servants to the stakeholders, the creditors. The nation.

Successful leadership is based upon a combination of the right delegation of authority, team building, and ensuring satisfaction. With this in mind let us look forward to the first five (5) traits of effective leadership:

• Delegate Early
• Set Clear Goals
• Be Available
• Provide Support
• Give Credit

1. Delegate

The formal definition, according to dictionary.com, is: a person designated to act for or represent another or others; deputy; representative; as in a political convention. Clearly, this is an outline for the ones we elect to represent us in a political convention, like Congress. Moreover, it is the same elected responsibility to delegate and assure that what we need done is completed and without a cost to our freedom of liberty and life. The National Guidelines for Nursing Delegation were standardized for the procedure by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. In the beginning of 2015, that council convened two panels of experts from areas of education, research, and practice. According to their findings, they outlined objectives to understand the standards for delegation, as well as the difference between assignment and delegation. The Delegation Model is a breakdown of sections, with subsections that connect the sections to inter-relate. Sound familiar? Maybe our governmental structure currently? Waste!

2. Setting expectations is one of the basic fundamentals of management.

An individual can politic all he or she wants to, but if either cannot manage the policy, then the goal fails. Additionally, if we as a people do not manage in our interests and elections, we will not set clear expectations for the elected. More so, another component of this is communication skills; also planning. Communication and preparation (planning) make a foundation to feasibility, accountability, and transparency. As voters and citizens, all are required of our officials.

3. Availability

As defined by Merriam-Webster.com: Easy or possible to get or use—available. Our views and opinions about political action are important and should be very much considered as important. So our politicians or elected representatives should be easily accessible for communication. We should be able to get to them reasonably for their safety, but be able to have our required access to use them. They are, after all, servants and meant to be used. Maybe they do not want to be too available as we may think they are too desperate to be elected to positions that pay great salaries and benefits on our labor?!

4. Providing support to the community is a must for our representatives.

Whether it is their electing state or local community, they have an obligation to be effective and efficient for the national community. Giving that support is outlined in many different handbooks and manuals for our governmental agencies, including Code, Legislation, and Statutes. For instance, N.A.R.E., Needs Assessment Ref Emergencies, or the principles of assessment for SNAP benefits (a welfare program), all have standardized procedures in providing support. The rules and regulations put needed stipulations on programs or everyone will think to apply to the program wanting an incentive. Hence, we have so much waste due to lack of strong stipulations.

5. Give credit where credit is due.

Recognizing the responsible and good-natured decisions and objectives of the opposing party shows teamwork and collaboration. After all, we are ALL supposed to be on the same team. Instead of taking credit for others' ideas where they were only modified by you to make the final bill pass, acknowledge your fellow man or woman and be mature and ethical. In total, it is reinforcing relationships and re-establishing the broken ones that give credence to giving credit.

Recapping, we see that the initial two articles are a participation to benefit an understanding of leadership. The leadership is not just for those we elected, but for us too. Being a leader is being a servant to others for the great of all, including self. It is pure, insightful, and definitive of a maturity in life and community. Through the foundation of five (5) traits of effective leadership, we have observed and outlined the basic qualifications of our representatives. Additionally, these traits define a path to fulfilling our needs and protecting the loss of freedom. We are the stakeholders.