Real Leaders Lead During a Crisis

During any crisis, it is important to have a leader who is both competent and compassionate and who will put aside their feelings and resentments against the other side, and lead. It is vital to the survival of others and the nation or state or whatever area this leader governs to do whatever is necessary to get the job done.

This is a time when we need that type of leadership across the board and in all branches of government and on all levels of government, but sadly, we do not have that leadership in all these areas of authority within our society as in some of these areas, the leadership is lacking, greatly.

COVID-19 has decimated our world in so many ways and it has been a crisis that calls for strong leadership to pull us through, but there are some of our leaders who have not been up to the challenge and these leaders have lost the confidence of the people during a time when they should be gaining that faith from the people and not losing it.

As the virus spreads, some of these leaders are making bad choices and they are putting lives at risk and sacrificing the safety of the people in order to gain political points and votes. They choose votes and the economy over the lives of the very citizens that put them into power and they make poor choices in relation to our health and what is best for the communities that they are charged with protecting.

Trump did not lead us. He failed us and continues to do so.

We are seeing the lack of leadership that certain GOP governors, mayors, and certainly President Trump are displaying throughout this crisis by their lack of empathy for the sick and those who have died from this virus as well as their complete disregard for public health by either reopening the economy or by their desire to do so, despite evidence that doing so be catastrophic to the public health or these places and the country.

Real leaders would value what is best for the citizens that they represent, what is best for ALL of them.

Trump attacks the media, suggests wacko medical cures for the virus, and gloats about himself and his so-called accomplishments as Americans die while calling for the country to open, despite evidence that doing so would cost many lives. It is a similar situation when certain Republican politicians who are governors and mayors around the country speak on this crisis, they just do not get it.

We know that Trump is no leader and has not led this country for one day since taking office. We know that he has no morals or competence to lead during normal times, let alone a crisis of this magnitude, but we had hoped that others in his party would step up and the sad truth is that most have not and they have endangered lives.

There are some Republicans who have led and who have made the tough choices that have saved lives and they should be praised for their brave and life saving actions. There are a few in that party who have stepped up and gone against the wishes of Trump and their constituents and put public health first and they should be thanked.

Like the Republican governors of Idaho, Massachusetts, and Ohio who split with Trump and the party and put their people first and not only passed strict stay-at-home orders, but extended them at a time when doing so was unpopular and against party lines.

It is rare for leadership across party lines, but these Republican leaders showed what leadership looks like and they joined the brave and heroic Democratic governors who believe in protecting public health above all else and value human life above a functioning economy during such a crisis like the one we are in now.

There are some leaders who rise above the rest though and who show what a true leader is all about and this has even been true before we were in this pandemic that we find ourselves in today. These leaders always put the best interests of the people first, they are professional, they are compassionate, and most of all, they are smart and make wise choices that benefit the cities and states they are in charge of.

I am talking about leaders like Gavin Newsom of California, Andrew Cuomo of New York, Jay Inslee of Washington, Kate Brown of Oregon, and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. These governors have shown real leadership at a time when the country has truly needed it, they have in a way become a collective presidency, as the federal leadership has been severely lacking at a time when we need it most.

These governors value Americans more than anything else and have been leaders from the start, both with this crisis and before, their actions have shown that they are leaders as do their words, words that give people hope at a time when that is difficult to find and that is something that we all should thank them for.

These leaders put people before profit and put public health before the economy or anything else and this is a lesson that people like Trump, Kemp in Georgia, Desantis in Florida, Abbott in Texas, and the many other GOP leaders who rather risk the lives of Americans for their economic agenda than keep people safe and healthy at all costs.

Listen to a Trump speech and then listen to someone like Gavin Newsom speak and you will see what true leadership looks like. You will see how a real leader acts and speaks and you will see that this is how someone should lead and govern — by example and in a compassionate and intelligent way while being smart and following the science.

Leaders like Gavin and Cuomo and the others I have mentioned follow the law and they follow the science. They are not ones who will tell people to inject disinfectants as a cure or who call the media “nasty” and “fake” for asking simple questions, but instead lead like leaders should during unprecedented times while showing true heroism and having character, certainly something we need on the federal level.

Real leaders lead and pretenders blame those who lead for their own personal and professional failures.

This is what we are seeing with this crisis. Trump failed and he continues to blame others while he and other GOP “leaders” who refuse to take the virus and this pandemic seriously put lives at risk by reopening and not telling people to follow the rules and stay at home and wear masks to keep others safe.

I miss having a real president like Obama.

Obama was a real leader. He led and was professional and compassionate during a crisis. He showed humanity and cared for others and he was there when the nation needed him, he did blame others for his failings and most of all, he took responsibility for things he fell short on and that is what real leadership is about.

A time like this is when we miss Obama the most. He spoke eloquently and comforted people when they were scared and hurting. He was like a parent to a child when that child was in pain and was frightened and most of all, he was that voice of reason and that voice of love and unity that a country needs in a time of trouble and uncertainty.

All things that we need at a time like this.

Trump does not lead. He is not compassionate. He is not someone who unites.

Leaders like those mentioned who take this public health crisis seriously and who take the necessary steps to protect public health first and foremost and who unite people are the leaders we need at a time like this and those are the leaders who will get us through this on a state and local level and get us to that next place.

Joe Biden is a leader. He will come in and continue the work that these Dem (and some Republican) governors and mayors have done during this crisis when our current president failed. These Democrat leaders deserve praise for leading their cities and states when the federal government dropped the ball and neglected them. It is these leaders who are saving us and giving a chance to survive.

Leaders lead and cowards cower.

This is the reality.

Thank you to those who lead when the feds and those in power in DC failed us and ignored the threat.

Trump had a chance to right his many wrongs and lead us through this crisis, but he did not and that is because leading is not what he likes to do. It is not attractive to his base to lead and unite during a crisis and it does not gain him votes. His base likes when he attacks and insults and blames those who they hate and deplore, that is how he gets political points and votes and remains in power.

The people who HAVE led us through this and the people of the past who led through difficulties care about people, not votes. They care about doing what is right, not what serves their agenda. They care about helping people, not remaining in power.

I would like to take this time to thank the REAL LEADERS who have led us through this time like Newsom, Whitmer, Brown, Inslee, Cuomo, Obama, and even Republicans like former President Bush and others during this pandemic and tragic time for stepping up when Trump and his cronies would not and did not care to do the right thing.

Thank you to the real leaders. Thank you!