If you are like many you’ve watched Presidential elections unfold and asked 
yourself, “Can it get any worse?” What kind of “leaders” are these? Well, 2016 has resulted in probably the most embarrassing and disgraceful Presidential race ever seen. Good people have debated the pros and cons of numerous candidates in both parties, and a good many of the candidates were honorable, dedicated individuals…but not all. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump tapped into the collective rage of the American people on both the left and right. Trump has insulted nearly everyone. The democratic party, unable to identify a more trustworthy candidate, turned a blind eye and got behind Hillary Clinton, a person wholly lacking in accountability and dragging with her a shameless legacy of scandal, deceit and the politics of division.
Is this the best we can do?
The behavior of the two remaining candidates in the race to the Whitehouse makes the U.S. look like a “Banana Republic”. It is an embarrassment on a global scale. It has been said repeatedly that “Good people won’t run for office because the price that must be paid just isn’t worth it.” So where do we turn for real leaders? What makes a real leader we can believe in?
Think of true “Leaders” and who comes to mind? Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson?
Perhaps Gandhi, Mandela, Churchill and more. More recent respected leaders have included Generals Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkoph. What makes good leaders? It obviously takes more than intelligence, professional talent or raw charisma. Why do people follow them?
Many books have been written about Leadership. But the average person doesn’t have to dig too deeply to recognize qualities they admire and hope to see in their leaders. Things like honesty, character and respect for others are at the top of the list. At the very top of the list are the following:
- Vision – Truly successful leaders have a vision of what can be achieved. They are not simply dreamers. They have hope and a realistic vision of what can be achieved and how to achieve it.
- Communication – Lofty rhetoric isn’t enough. Successful leaders can communicate their vision in a way that appeals to the best of who we are. They inspire us to be more than what we are and to accomplish things we may have only dreamed of.
- Inspiration – Successful leaders respect those they hope to lead and they ensure the vision and mission are beneficial to all concerned. They inspire, invite and rally good people to join them on the journey to accomplish more than one person can do on his own. They make us want to be our better selves.
- Execution – Successful leaders are more than inspiring visionaries. They not only rally people to a cause but can organize and manage their organization and troops to accomplish the mission.
- Responsibility – Last but not least they “own it”. They accept responsibility for everyone and everything in their organization. The buck ALWAYS stops with them! No excuses.
Ronald Reagan was considered by many to be a truly great President who understood the importance of vision and communication. It earned him the moniker, “The Great Communicator” and he was beloved by many. Others questioned his management skills in light of Iran-Contra and his choice of Donald Regan, his Chief-of-Staff.
Nevertheless, Vision, Communication, Inspiration and the ability to manage and Execute are qualities that we seek in our leaders. We want them to”own it” because that is what character is all about. Politics has always been a rough business that has rarely delivered to us the best and brightest America has to offer. It’s been said that, “The voters get what the voters deserve.” If so, what does the election of candidates Trump and Clinton tell us about ourselves? Don’t we 
deserve better? Shouldn’t we demand better? It is our country after all.
The goal of the New American Party is to become the first virtual political party and change the dynamic in American politics. We need new leaders. Are you up to the task?