Admit it: with 26 months of scalpel-sharp talking points and weasel-worded promises, the campaigns have worn you down. Given the prolonged tsunami of campaign mud ("Socialist! Terrorist! More of the same!"), and pandering ("We’ll do healthcare for all, lower taxes, fix the economy, and end the wars at the same time!"), it's no wonder the polling numbers are so close, and so many of us are undecided about which chad to hang or dots to connect on the ballot.
If history is any guide ("Read my lips! No new taxes…") a candidate's words don't shed too much light on how they will respond when faced with the actual complexities and crises of office. Of course we hear their words. But we didn't just fall off the turnip truck; we know that mostly they've told us what they think we want to hear and will get them elected. Yet as our votes hang in the balance, we wish we knew the real story—who's beholden to whom, and who're the key men and women behind the curtain. Add that to all the mud on our windshield—rhetoric, punditry, allegations, and robocalls—and our choice is even harder to make.
That we must make a critical yet unclear leadership decision is not as daunting as it may seem. As an executive coach, I happen to work with leaders every day, and I can't tell you how often—and how important it is—that they make clear-headed choices when much of what they need or hope to know is ambiguous. In fact, each of us makes plenty, if not most, of our critical choices in life lacking any kind of full picture. So rather than giving up or giving in, the question is: how do we make an important and ambiguous decision in the very best way possible?
Along those lines, here's a bit of executive coaching for you—just a few tricks of the leadership trade that may help you make a good call. I warn you, what I'm going to suggest may seem a little unusual, but just bear with me.
Right before you touch the screen, hang the chad, or connect the dots, I need you to take a moment to let go of any strong feelings of apathy, anger, fear, or unhappiness. As you cast your vote, just put this stuff aside and clear your head. Remember, as decisions go, this is one of the biggies . . . like popping the question, signing the deed, or pulling the plug. Here's the tip: ask yourself two clarifying questions:
2. All the mud and promises aside, is candidate X or Y more likely to steer us toward that future?
Then take a deep breath, check to make sure no one's looking, and cast your vote.
My point here is that better questions lead to better decisions. I'm worried that, absent a helpful framework, many might make a hasty decision in reaction to the mudslide of misinformation, disinformation, and posturing to which we've all been subjected for so long now. Given the state of affairs across the board, a reactionary vote is not what this country needs. As a coach, I challenge you to pull yourself up above the fray when casting your vote.
We will all live in the future that your vote helps create. Take responsibility by doing what's best for all of us. If we learn anything from the post-9/11 wars and crises, it's that such accountability has been lacking, and that hasn't worked so well.
Bottom line, transparency and authenticity left the campaigns long ago, if they were ever there in the first place. So at this critical inflection point for the world, clear your mind of all the crud, even for a moment, ask yourself what's best, and who's more likely to steer us in that direction. Then do the deed for yourself, and for all of us.
David Peck
Executive Coach and President
Leadership Unleashed
