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I believe we understand when a battlefield general decides a course of action with honest conviction that puts lives at risk. None wish for the loss of life, but the uncertainties of winning or losing are significant in life and death struggles. Conviction has always been necessary for a leader who should firmly believe in the cause they pursue. Yet confidence alone is not enough; responsibility to those you lead must temper the hubris that unfettered authority spawns.
This tension between conviction and responsibility has come to mind recently as our society struggles to develop a path forward through a pandemic. There may be initial chaos during a battle such as this, but when the smoke dissipates, and the way ahead is clearly defined, a leader protects his charges and sees them through.
In every crisis, some rise to the challenge and become leaders, while others falter and take their place as living examples of the Peter Principle. Failure, while trying to do your best, is understandable. We have all failed at something. Yet, what can be said of a leader who lies to a nation in the throes of battle? Such is a profound breach of faith to those served and is a failure in leadership.
In the end, there will be no marble monuments on wind-swept hillsides to hold the memory of such a leader. Instead, memorials will honor those he failed to serve faithfully. Then, perhaps, if he is fortunate, he will come to understand the value of lives his truth could have saved.
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Kevin Deeny
