Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I met with city officials to discuss a possible project. At the time, the city had a mask mandate. In short, employees and visitors needed to wear a mask in city-owned facilities.
(There was some confusion about whether the mask was needed during the meeting, particularly if everyone was seated at a proper distance.)
One of the meeting attendees was among the city’s top unelected officials. I remember this person walking into the meeting, and despite the mask mandate, this official intentionally flouted the rules.
I’m not having a debate on the pros and cons of masks, but think of what that said. This person, responsible for enforcing the city’s rules, whether one agrees with those requirements or not, walked past city employees, taxpayers, and guests, all wearing masks.
This person effectively said, “I am too important to follow the rules, but you have to.”
Now, leaders not following the rules they espouse is nothing new. But that’s a statement in and of itself.
Leaders — and especially those in a public arena — should walk the walk. Anyone can talk the talk, but too few put their proverbial money where their mouth is.
The problem with people like this bureaucrat is that they are a dime a dozen. They like to decree from on high, but they expect to be held to a different standard, making them the very antithesis of a leader.
Leadership requires the “hard yards.” It requires making tough decisions and following the rules — even if you disagree.
If that’s the case, work to change them or evolve them into more sensible mandates. However, ignoring them because you don’t like them while forcing everyone else to adhere to them is a case study of poor leadership.
The worst part is that this bureaucrat didn’t even have the self-awareness to see what they were doing was wrong. That probably means this person isn’t qualified to lead, but unfortunately, too few are willing to “speak truth to power.”