Leadership Characteristics

The leadership characteristics both inherent and learned in an individual are important markers that determine the kind of leadership a person practices. The Associated Press reported the Illinois gubernatorial race should have been about ethics reform. Politicians in Illinois have been branded with unethical conduct; including the newly nominated lieutenant governor who bailed due to ethical issues. Instead, those running have made the race about "a sputtering economy" due to a $13 billion deficit.



For Illinois politics stewardship seems scarce. Stewardship is a responsibility; more than that, however, stewardship is a privilege.


Stewardship is service carried out by a person who is responsible for possessions belonging to another. The steward is responsible to carry out the owner's instructions regarding that property. Elected officials become the stewards of the people's resources.


Governments may levy taxes, but everything collected is subject to appropriate use. When the framers of our form of government put quill pen to parchment and wrote those enduring words, "We the people...," the values changed from feudal lords, monarchy and privilege, to individuals with freedom.

Each individual living in a stable society must strive toward maintaining integrity, high moral values and trust. More importantly, the person who is thrust by "we the people" to be an official is even more obligated to take on a lifestyle of the highest character. To marginalize the need for ethics is to abrogate that responsibility of stewardship. It is shameful that Illinois Politicians have spent to a deficit of over $13 billion. There is not a family in Illinois that could maintain that proportion of deficit spending and expect to prosper.

Clearly, those responsible for this deficit have been poor stewards of the people's resources. It resulted in money being spent for "bridges to nowhere" and projects that benefit only a few. Meanwhile, communities read about local school programs being eliminated due to limited resources.


The plight of Illinois is not unlike the circumstances we are experiencing throughout the United States. We are bombarded from the policy wonks and the news reporters about our debt climbing into the trillions of dollars. “Generational debt” it is being called; borrowing from our children and grandchildren to pay off our current debt. As individual states and the federal government collectively continue to fashion our national economy upon a foundation of deceit and shadow truth, the integrity of our way of life will continue to plummet.

In the leadership role of a public office, no matter what level, the foundational strength is the individual's moral character, along with practiced ethics and values of good stewardship.

Is this not among the most important requisites for holding any public office?