All politicians are liars. None of them can be trusted. Is that really true? I don’t think so. There is certainly room for improvement in public confidence in our political leaders.
As someone who has fought to build trust in leadership over the past seven years, I understand the frustration felt by thousands of people when they went to the polls yesterday. But what is the point? Nothing will change regardless of who becomes prime minister etc…
But today we have a new Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. Will Sir Keir be the ideal leader for this country? No. But is he a force for good? Deep down, is he doing this for himself, or is he one of those rare leaders who are driven by a higher purpose: to make the world a better place? Only time will tell, but our job is to keep alive the hope that some leaders are a force for good, because otherwise we sink into cynicism, bitterness and despair.
Regardless of position, I believe that “within every leader there is a force for good and a force for evil. Which one wins? The one you feed.” We all have a seed of goodness within us, but the bigger question is how do we feed that seed so that it grows into good habits that support a purpose-driven leader and keep them motivated, resilient and authentic through the ups and downs of organisational life. As Keir Starmer presents his position as Prime Minister, I recommend a three-pronged diet –
UP – He needs to identify his higher calling in public office, serve it, stay connected to it, and feel fulfilled by it.
In – He needs to stay motivated, flexible and active to continue the journey throughout his full term.
Outside – He needs to bring his government, his party and the country with him on his journey as he pursues his prime ministerial goals.
The new prime minister will be like all leaders: he will be a two-legged stool. In other words, he will be inherently strong on two dimensions of goal-oriented leadership, and weaker on the third. Having seen him in action during the election campaign, I doubt he has the qualities of a “martyr” of leadership. In other words, I don’t doubt his passionate sense of mission (the mission), or his ability to work hard to bring people along on the journey (the mission), but I worry that he might burn out mid-flight. The job of prime minister is a unique, relentless and demanding one. With this in mind, he needs to focus on the goal-oriented aspects of leadership to ensure he can run the full marathon and take home the prize.
Perhaps the highest vision Keir Starmer can have for his time as leader of our country is to become a force multiplier – a leader who ignites in us the desire to become a force for good. We know that transforming our country will take more than one great leader; it will take thousands of us to rediscover the hope that tomorrow can be better than today – a hope that so many of us have lost because of the trials and tribulations of recent years.