A Year of Leadership–Or Not!
On March 2, 2021 the Governor of Texas announced its 100% reopening–effectively proclaiming an end of the Covid-19 crisis. Needless to say in our hyper-partisan world, many widely decried the decision and even accused him or bringing physical death to the state population.
Mississippi announced a similar rollback of virus driven constraints. Likewise, Connecticut is rapidly easing similar restrictions. These state join others with loose Covid-19 protocols. This pundit expects this trend to gain speed quickly and worldwide.
Meanwhile, the President of the United States accuses these decisions as being made by Neanderthals, while the Director of NIAID position has move from NO mask to wearing MUTIPLE masks. The political divide regarding the path forward remains wide.
Consent of the Governed
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time,” is attributed to Abraham Lincoln. This oft quote is usually seen through a political lens. More importantly, it is a position from a Leader!
Driven by suspect data we were told that this virus had an Armageddon like quality. At one point over 2 million Americans were projected to die and the hospital systems would be overwhelmed, perhaps irrevocably. Hospital ships were mobilized and economies brought to their knees all to save lives. Perhaps, even our own.
To be clear, many did succumb and many lives were destroyed or at least changed forever. We mourn those and recognize the serious of this pathogen.
A few of my family and friends have been infected but fortunately with only minor symptoms and limited hospitalization. In this we are very fortunate.
Crises can happen at any time, hurricane, winter storms, hostilities are part of the human conditions. How we respond it the difference between chaos and inconvenience. Leadership determines the outcome!
If you have lost someone to Covid-19, cancer, accident, fire (I lost two family members) or other tragedies, statistical arguments are meaningless as the probability is 100%. However, for the overall population likelihood of recovering from the coronavirus has always been quite high.
Many questions have been raised regarding the myriad of conflicting “authoritative” information and misinformation the public has endured for 12 months. With no conclusive or definitive game plan put forth by authorities, we were left to fend for ourselves.
A resident of the Houston metropolitan area, this writer has noted that traffic is almost back to normal. This suggests that the governed no longer have faith in political or medical leadership demanding yet another year under their ‘knowledgeable’ thumb.
Once that credibility is lost, game over for leaders pontificating that to be safe we must hunker down forever. Not sure even the Londoners did that during the Blitz.
The Future is Bright
Rulers attempt to dictate through a never ending series of edicts. Knowledgeable governed conduct reasonable due diligence and make there own risk adjusted behavioral decisions.
Likely, recent events are driven by the political class learning that enough is enough. After all, we are adults and capable of living our own lives.
Agree that the pathogen is still with us and we must address it. Vaccines have a long history of success and processes are in place for safe openings.
Society is opening with or without the politicians. Remember the Speakeasies during Prohibition of the 1920s?
Expect more to run to a microphone and claim leadership. Ultimately, this process is irrelevant. Getting out ahead of a parade and claiming to be the Grand Marshal does not make it so.
Regardless, 2020 is over and there is NO interest in repeating it in 2021. Message from the governed–we will take our chances going forward! Our R B C Framework model at work.
Covid-19 is not over but seems to be getting to remission thanks to the army of men an women who have risen to the challenge in less than a year and saved countless lives.
How are you leading your organization to recapture Normal?
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