As a leader you are not responsible for taking us somewhere. Martin Luther King provided a powerful vision for his time. He stood up and told everyone around him what he could see. Every true leader has an "I have a dream" kind of vision within him or her. You are responsible for showing the way. You don't have to be right about every step in our journey as a nation. You just have to keep pointing the right direction. Keep telling us your dream.
Define the Behavioral Boundaries
Not only do I see a leader as the head of the body. I see a leader as the immune system of the body. The purpose of the immune system is to maintain the integrity of the body. A healthy immune system can identify self from non-self - healthy tissue from virus. It can identify the difference from cells that can self-regulate and function as part of the body and cells that cannot self-regulate (cancer) and threaten the existence of the body.
What does it mean to be an American citizen? This is an ongoing and important conversation (not a debate - there is a difference) among us as a nation. It seems to me we have a huge advantage as much of this has already been worked out for us. We don't need to re-invent the wheel. It is called the Constitution. You are an expert in the Constitution and well qualified to interpret its meaning and direction as it informs our conversation of what it means to be a member of our nation.
It is my opinion that the Constitution has been ignored and conveniently shelved by us over the past 8 years. We have allowed our government to set it aside at our own peril. We have traded much of our freedom for the empty promise of security. We have substituted brutality for the hard work of mutual understanding and respect. We have traded tempered appreciation and humility for arrogance and aggression. We have become unbalanced as a nation. I ask you to continue to work to restore the balance. Set the boundaries among your own administration first. Be clear about what is acceptable and what is not. Make the hard choices against behaviors that are not acceptable and those who are recalcitrant in the face of them. Where you have the power to act, act clearly and decisively. Where you do not have power, speak up and take a stand. Let everyone around you know what is "of the body" and what is not.
Provide Emotional Maturity I understand maturity as the ability to self-regulate in the face of uncertainty. Uncertainty and fear do terrible things to one's judgment. It blinds us and makes us stupid. It triggers our instincts for flight or fight and narrows our ability to see other, more balanced and rational responses. (This is one of the major differences I saw in your campaign vs. that of Senator McCain. He offered a vision based on fear. You offered a vision based on hope. His platform was entitlement and security. Yours was personal responsibility and opportunity. McCain was reactive and showed an inability to self-regulate. You were responsive and maintained your composure.
It is my opinion that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 have successfully created paranoia on a national scale. Their goal was not just to kill Americans; it was to strike fear into the heart of our nation and cause us to begin acting out of that fear. In short, their goal was to make us "stupid." I believe our present administration has been reacting exactly the way the terrorists would have us react.
I believe through your own maturity, you can lead our nation out of this stupidity. The non-anxious presence of a mature leader can act as a "step-down transformer" for the kind of fear and anxiety that makes us stupid. As you remain non-anxious and responsive rather than reactive, those around you can be challenged as well to regulate their own fears and use the full capacity of rational thinking to respond to the realities of our modern world. Fear and anxiety are contagious. So is maturity. Anxiety is the disease among us. Maturity is the cure.
Focus on Your Own Salvation
"The Coming of the Messiah" is a national myth. We tend to look toward our leaders to save us. In truth, they cannot. Trying to save others is indeed noble. There is a place for it in times of crisis. But it is no way to live. "Country first" is an appealing theme; but it is impossible to lead others when you have lost your own way. The true well-being of another person lies outside of our control. The only person you can save is yourself.
Our messianic myth has great power. It has the potential to delude any leader to start to believe he or she has power where they do not. This myth can fool any leader into thinking they are responsible for the ultimate well-being of others when, in fact, they can do little or nothing to "save" them.
As difficult as it might be, I ask that you keep the focus on your own salvation. You, as our leader, are responsible to us, but you are not responsible for us. You are responsible to lead through your example, but you are not responsible to rescue us. Treat us like adults even when we whine like children. Refuse to take care of us and challenge each of us to take care of ourselves. Allow us the pain we each need to motivate us to make our own best choices. Rescuing is for fairy tales. Take care of yourself as a person. Challenge us as a nation to face up to the hard choices we each must make to live in the real world.
As a citizen not only of this nation but as a citizen of the world, I want to thank you for what you have done so far along these lines. I have to say, what I have seen in you makes me hopeful for the future. Please do not hesitate to call upon me if you have any questions or wish to discuss these matters further. I wish you well.
Sincerely,
Steve Geske,
HealingLeaders.com
