Has The Bush Presidency Struck An Iceberg?
A new set of poll numbers reveals that George Bush is facing one of the gravest issues confronting any leader, the distrust of the people. The President can deal with this issue only by putting into action a leadership principle that has been used by leaders throughout history.
By Brent Filson - 2005
A lesser known aspect of the sinking of the Titanic took place right
when the great ship struck an iceberg. There wasn't a huge, jarring
crash but a gentle shudder the length of the ship. No passengers and
few of the crew knew anything was amiss. In fact, some passengers
actually put shards of ice sprinkled on the decks into their drinks and
continued their merry making.
A recent Washington Post-ABC news poll reminds me of that shudder
passing through the Titanic. The poll reveals that for the first time
in his presidency, more than half the country questions Bush's personal
integrity.
Up till now, Bush has experienced a steady decline in his approval
ratings, from upwards of 60 percent approval at the beginning of the
year to 38 percent today, the lowest of his presidency. The decline
has worried administration aides and given Bush's critics cheer; but
it's really no big deal. In leadership endeavors, declining approval
ratings are not particularly troubling. Many leaders have done great
things while being unpopular with the people. There is no correlation
between the popularity of a leader and that leader's capacity to get
great results. On the contrary, in many cases, there is an inverse
correlation, since to get great results, leaders often have to do
unpopular things. As long as Bush's base holds, he can live with low
ratings and still lead this nation the way he sees fit.
However, the new poll is like the submerged ice-razor that lacerated
the Titanic's hull. The poll shows that only 40 percent of Americans
view him as honest and trustworthy while 58 percent have doubts about
his honesty. If Bush doesn't deal with this issue, the remaining years
of his presidency will be a calamity. For in trying to push through
his programs and lead the country and the world in the war on terror,
he'll be thwarted by popular indignation.
In a democracy, as in many organizations, a leader who has lost the
trust of people, has lost the most important asset h/she possesses.
To understand why, we must understand what true leadership is about.
It's not about ordering people about but marshaling them to become
committed to one's leadership. One may do unpopular things and still
earn that commitment from people -- as long as they trust and respect
the leader. But people will not be so willing to give that commitment
to a leader they don't trust. And once trust is lost, it is
practically impossible for the leader to get it back.
These new poll numbers represent a gentle shudder, betokening
catastrophic damage, going through his presidency. Will he and Cheney
and company see it for what it is, a mortal danger to his leadership
and ultimately to the administration, or will they continue to do
business as usual: be secretive, be unilateral, be oblivious to
mistakes, be strategically blind?
Bush can get back on track and be a highly effective leader throughout
the remainder of his term. But he can only do it by manifesting this
single principle that has defined great leaders throughout history.
It's this: Whenever ordinary people needed to accomplish extraordinary
things, one thing had to take place, a leader had to go to the people
and speak from the heart. It's as simple as that -- and as profound and
complicated as that. For it will involve, for starters, giving not
just one speech but a whole series of heartfelt talks across the
nation, talks right now focusing on the War in Iraq. Meanwhile he
should capitalize on the December 15th Iraqi elections to put forth a
bold new vision, and a strategy and tactics to realize that vision, for
the War.
Is George Bush up to the task? Or does he suffer from the worst kind of ignorance: He doesn't know that he doesn't know?
Lethal, beneath-the-surface damage has been identified. I hope for the
sake of the country that he and his aides heed its counsel.
2005© The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's recent books are, THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. He is founder and president of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. – Celebrating 25 years of helping leaders of top companies worldwide achieve outstanding results every day. Sign up for his free leadership e-zine and get his FREE report "7 Steps To Leadership Mastery"