Where’s the goodness in Washington this week?
It would be tone-deaf not to write about last week. For those of us hoping the start of 2021 would be flowers and bunnies…it didn’t happen. So, what do I have to say about this?
A day that will live in infamy
I’m sure you will have memories of exactly where you were when you first heard or saw armed citizens of our country invading our national capital building. At my age, I have several of those memories about shocking world events – the best example is 9/11. Until last week. Two of my colleagues and I were facilitating an annual Leadership Alignment Retreat last Wednesday when suddenly we lost control of the meeting. Live-streaming news video of angry Trump supporters storming the capital building interrupted our work. The room was consumed with darkness and disbelief.
Since then, the rhetoric has been loud and extreme. There’s a lot of passion pouring out of the people these days. That passion is coming from within and from outside the nation. But I’m stalling…what do I really have to say about this?
Nothing significant ever happens alone
Good leadership is a team sport – leaders are nothing if they don’t inspire other people into action. Ideas are only fleeting if they don’t multiply in fertile minds. As we search for “Where is the goodness in all of this?” we see in vivid color how powerful ideas can be. Especially when they are fueled by hate.
So, what ideas do you have in your head that need to grow? Those ideas, hopes, and dreams are important right now – as long as they don’t include the word “hate.” Hate is never good, from either side of the aisle.
What I will remember about last Wednesday:
When Democracy was pushed to the brink, she won. Even when our president issued the marching orders to disrupt our democracy, order was restored. Elected officials returned to the Capital during the night to complete their constitutional assignment. And, despite the cries for disruption, for one evening both sides of the aisle behaved like a team – working together to complete an important task at hand.
Yes, there were dissenters. Yes, powerful people were angry. We are still standing…and awaiting a re-start on January 20.
Goodness is when people thrive together in a culture of encouragement, accountability, and positive teamwork. Where’s the goodness in Washington? We will have to keep looking. It’s there. But like my beloved Grandfather Hunter taught me to say: “Some days are better than others.”