Having just watched George Osborne explain the UK Budget for 2015, you get the strong feeling that this budget is all about getting the Conservative Party re-elected next year rather than putting the country on a long term path to recovery.
On the one had he talks about giving money back by reducing stamp duty on property purchases and then he talks about cuts in public spending becoming bigger going forward.
Wouldn’t it make sense that if you need to make cuts not to give money back, but to use that money to fund the services to might have to cut, so why do it?
It’s because it’s in their self interest, they are hoping to use the give backs to win the next elections so that they can remain in power. It’s about self-interest rather than the best interest of the country.
I heard a great joke recently, its said ‘the other day it was so cold that the politicians had their hands in their own pockets’.
It’s this self interest that causes our lack of trust in politicians, and it’s not just in the UK, we see it everywhere in politics.
But it’s also the same in business, when leaders do whats best for them rather than whats best for their teams, or their companies, then the self interest undermines the trust we have in leadership.
It also means that we can end up focusing on short-term individual benefits, at the expense of long-term pain and suffering for everyone else.
Look at the financial crisis of 2008, much of the problems stemmed from greedy bankers looking to make huge bonuses based on short term results which ultimately crashed the system and plunged us into a recession which has lasted for many years and has seen millions lose their homes, their jobs and drop below the poverty line.
Isn’t it time that we had a leadership which looked to make long term benefits for everyone?
We have the power to make the changes, we are the ones who have the votes, but too often we fall for these give aways because we too look at self interest.
Until we start to look at long term benefits we will not fix many of the problems that we face in the world, the financial crisis, global warming, escalating obesity, because many of the people we elect benefit from perpetuating these problems.
Food firms make millions in profits, whilst pumping our foods full of sugar, even though it is causing a health epidemic, it’s the same with energy companies why should they look for a safer greener alternative when they can make millions from selling us gas guzzling motors which destroy our planet.
Why do we not have electric cars, why are these not mandatory, its because our leadership is funded by the old structures, too much oil money, so the self interest is not in fixing the problems, it’s in perpetuating them.
Somedays I despair that the lengths people will go to in the name of self interest, the death of the planet we inhabit doesn’t seem to high a price to pay for those who wish to cling to power.
It’s time we did something.
Gordon Tredgold
#Leadership Principles
Gordon,
Thanks for this. As you observed, part of the problem is with us voters, because we elect politicians who fatten our wallets. Politicians realize this and do the things that will get them returned to office. Yes, it is time (way past time, really) to do something. The first “something” we must do is to educate ourselves and others as voters about the perils we put ourselves in. The second “something” we must do is to figure out how to make the change we want to see profitable, because until people are convinced that they will be better off financially by making certain changes, most people will cling to the same old things they have always known and done.
I was hooked on every word of the article until I got about half way through and found myself banging on my desk screaming “noooooooooooo!” We’ll have to have a beer over this one sometime, Gordon! Keep up the great work!
Hi Jim, after half way through did you start to disagree? Where do you live and i will bring the beer
I did start to disagree! Not with the premise of the article but with some of the assumptions made. Yes, that would be so much fun! I live in Illinois but perhaps the next time I get to Florida, I can give you a heads up and we can discuss! I love the topic of leadership, I facilitated a U.S. Navy two-week course on it as a Master Training Specialist, worked in the corporate world as a corporate trainer and have a B.S. degree in Organizational Leadership. It is a fascinating subject to kick around and discuss different philosophies and techniques realizing in many cases there isn’t a right or wrong but a more effective and less effective solution or road map to the issues we face in leadership! Safe journeys in your move!