Perhaps the title is politically incorrect. But even those firmly entrenched in the secular world know that when people are wished “happy holidays” in the U.S., most of the folks are Christian and are thinking Christmas.
However, if you observe Hannukah, Ramadan, or Kwanzaa, or any other event this time of year, I also ask you: “What Do You Want?”
No, I’m not looking for the answer new car, X Box, or any of the other expected materialistic wishes which we possess. I’m asking what do you want for or from our government, especially, but not exclusively, the Executive Branch? This collection of agencies work hard every year to implement or maintain national laws or programs, such as defense, social security, collecting taxes, protecting the homeland, etc.
The list of activities and programs for which the Executive Branch is responsible is enormous. Its reach is considerable, and affects every man, woman, and child in one way or the other.
We’ve mentioned earlier, per Professor Paul Light, that about five (5) percent of all living American boys, girls, infants, and adults are employed for or on behalf of the U.S. Government in one way, shape or form. Yes, government has a wi------de reach.
So, what do you want from your government next year? An end to the War in Iraq? More effective use of resources? Greater responsiveness to citizen requests? More openness?
What I want most is candor, humility, civility, and collegiality. But I’ll settle for good clean honest effort.
I know from personal experience and too many stories from too many credible sources that some Executive Branch organizations are managed like medieval fiefdoms. Of course, virtually any organization – public or private -- is susceptible to the poison of our flawed human nature, but we at “The Forum” restrict our interests and concerns to government operations at the federal, state, or local level.
Perhaps it’s overly idealistic to ask for leaders and workers who are aware of their weaknesses and biases to work nicely together, serving as healthy checks and balances to one another. To do so means recognizing everyone’s foibles. Many wish to preserve an aura of infallibility, although even these people don’t really believe that of themselves.
Our greatness as a government or country hinges on the need for, and most important, presence of “servant leaders.”
Executives, managers, and supervisors should embrace their jobs as devices to serve their employees by enabling them to satisfy taxpayers/customers. In short, behave more as custodians than chieftains. After all, that’s what government is all about, isn’t it? Rather than expecting everyone to cater to their every need, true leaders first hold the interests of others in their hearts. If not, you can safely conclude that that organization won’t win any awards. Instead, it will likely spend an inordinate amount of time responding to complaints filed by aggrieved staff members.
Government exists to protect its population and provide services that the polity, through its representatives, has articulated. The game is not about the leader looking good, aggregating power, being praised, etc. Government operations are about the soldier in Iraq, the elderly widow in Iowa, and the impoverished child in the Head Start classroom. Our leaders, government employees, and contractors are expected to fulfill the national will as expressed by the electorate.
That’s the theory and that’s what I want for Christmas.
What’s on your list?
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Fred W. Apelquist, III, M.Ed.
Approximately 565 words.
© December, 2006