Confidence Lost – (Or When Words No Longer Matter)

One of the first things one learns when they are in a position of leadership is this: Choose your words carefully, mean what you say, then do what you say you’ll do. If you find you were wrong – admit it, state the reasons why clearly, then articulate once again clearly eschewing as much obliqueness as humanly possible what your intents are going forward – then do them. Rinse, repeat.
The above comes via experience, not some text-book found on some dusty bookshelf within the hallowed halls of academia where theory and an overdrawn dissection of minutia allows one to feel empowered to ‘lead’ others.
The attitude displayed for many who’ve partaken only in thought experiments is this: If they endured endless hours of discussion in classrooms, with noses buried in textbooks, listening to drawn-out oratory given by some professor (where they themselves more than likely never applied these principles in real life situations) and now bear some parchment stating they concluded the preceding, then by dint – they are now qualified to either ‘lead’ or be ‘leaders.’ It’s not only a misguided pretense – It’s a load of bunk.
No more is this phenom becoming more prevalent than in the political arena today. I don’t care if you’re on the Left, Right, or somewhere in between. This isn’t about which side you’re on, or the ‘your guy or gal’ debate. I’m speaking directly about confidence in leadership and what happens when it’s lost.
Although the clearest current examples are what is taking place in the political, make no mistake – they are also happening within the business community at a similar breathtaking pace.
Currently politicians and others involved in policy making are clamoring up to any camera, microphone, or reporter to ‘clarify’ what they stated clearly and emphatically previously.

This post was published at Zero Hedge on 11/17/2014.