Leadership and Self-Desception

My son, Daniel gave me a book through amazon.com called Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box by the Arbinger Institute. I’m on page 126. I’m also reading it to my husband out loud and we’re on page 80. It’s an important book. Stephen Covey says, “Profound…engaging…packed with insight. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.” I agree.

As I am reading this book through, it reminds me of what is happening in Congress regarding the important fight for all Americans to improve the quality of health care. President Obama is showing unparalleled leadership asking for hard work by the House of Representatives and the Senate to improve health care for all Americans and, at the same time, it would lower the national deficit. It’s important to do NOW. It’s urgent because the need is so great. So what is happening? Many leaders in the House of Representatives and Senate don’t want to put in the work. They say they need a vacation. They want to go home. Forget that they were elected to work hard for the people in the United States. They are too tired and don’t want to do the hard stuff. They want everyone to like them. They chose to play politics, rather than do the right thing.

Maybe everyone in the House of Representatives and the Senate needs to read this book as required reading. Then maybe they would see that they are elected to work hard on issues that will serve the American public and quit playing politics. It’s inexcusable for a member of the House of Representatives and Senate to ignore the urgent pleas of the American public and the President of the United States to work hard and get something done.