5 Examples of Horrible Political Leadership

By virtue of their position, politicians are in a leadership role. But there’s one thing I think we can all agree on: Some of them are just not very good leaders.

As a leadership professional and author (my book here amzn.to/3mFvVEP), I was mortified when I found out several high-level politicians broke one of the most important leadership rules in existence.

And that is never break a rule you expect your people to follow.

This isn’t new, however. History is filled with examples of reckless and ineffectual leadership by local, state and federal politicians. So I took the time to find several of recent history’s most egregious examples.

This past September, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was captured on video visiting a hair salon in San Francisco, violating local ordinances. She, of course, blamed the business for misleading her. You can add Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot for committing the same infraction.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom pleaded with the residents not to gather in large groups, including with their own friends and family. Just last month, he was seen attending a dinner party indoors at a Napa Valley restaurant. His ridiculous response; “should have … got[ten] back in my car and drove back to my house.”

NYC Mayor DeBlasio was seen entering a gym back in March… in New York City! In another absurd response: “I need to exercise to stay healthy and make … decisions.”

Why is this happening? It boils down to three possible reasons:

1- They are unfamiliar with basic leadership principles.

2- They feel they are above the law and better than us “common folk.”

3- They didn’t think they were going to get caught- the mindset of a criminal!

Regardless, it’s a darn shame and I, like most people, expect much more from an elected official. Are they drunk with power? Are they fueled by telling other people what to do and get a rush from breaking their own guidelines?

This isn’t just a COVID-19 issue either. Recall back in 2017 when then New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ordered all state beaches closed due to a government shutdown. That didn’t stop him and his family from enjoying the beach that state residents couldn’t.

Whatever the reason for political dissidence, it stinks and they should all publicly acknowledge their mistakes and step down, because that’s what real leaders do!

About the author: Eddie Molina is the author of A Beginner’s Guide to Leadership and blogs about it on his website, www.eddiemolina.com/blog