We are no longer living in

peaceful times. We are facing changes of Herculean proportions. Many of

the problems this nation faces today require leadership. Management works

best during peaceful times when the forces of change are minimal. On the

other hand, leadership is needed during changing and threatening times.

Despite the changes we now

face, our country is the best place to live. One of the reasons it is

the best is we have the inalienable right to express our opinions. Opinions

are neither good nor bad, but most are based on emotions, not facts.

The trouble with most of us

is as Americans we resist being led. We think we know what is best, that

our opinions matter. This leads to a fundamental question. Do people know

what is best? Of course people will tell you they know what is best, but

large portion of the population

is uninformed. The uninformed people will NOT choose what is best, but

what is convenient.

If we knew what was best--all

Americans would stop smoking. The evidence is clear smoking causes cancer,

but there are those who still choose to smoke. Do seat belts save lives?

Why did our government make it a law to wear seatbelts? Was it becausepeople

choose the right thing to do? No, people even when faced with the facts,

will endanger themselves and the lives of others.

Leaders make difficult decisions,

not what is easy and convenient. Consider this last issue. When was the

last time you stood on the bathroom scale? I do not know about you, but

if we knew what was best, we would eat properly, loose 20 lbs., and start

an exercise program. Despite health concerns, most of us choose not to,

myself included. It is not convenient--it is hard.

I once performed in a played

called, "Enemy of the People." The play was about a small German

town that was misled in thinking their local water supply had miraculous

healing powers. Motivated partially by greed, a wave of excitement swept

over the town to begin bottling and selling their miraculous water.

Townspeople thought they were

sitting on a goldmine--all would become rich. Unknown to the townspeople,

one discerning individual hired scientists to test the water. He discovered

the water was contaminated from acid dumped by a decades old tannery located

nearby. The water was poisoned and would cause death to those who drank

it.

When presenting the facts to

the townspeople, they refused to listen. He was armed with the truth,

but became the "enemy of the people." Despite the truth, the

town continued with its self-destructive plans.

People ask, "Why is leadership

so lonely?" It is lonely because leaders have to make difficult decisions,

weigh the pros and cons of opinions, dismiss bias, and choose what is

best. Leadership is not about being popular. It is not about opinion polls.

True "leadership"

is about taking people to a destination they would not go to by themselves."

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Greg Smith is a nationally

recognized speaker, author, and business performance consultant.

Greg has been featured on television

programs such as Bloomberg News, PBS television, and in publications including

Business Week, USA Today, Kiplinger's, President and CEO, and the Christian

Science Monitor. He is the President and "Captain of the Ship"

of a management-consulting firm, Chart Your Course International, located

in Atlanta, Georgia. Phone him at 770-860-9464. More articles available:

https://www.chartcourse.com

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