🔴 NEW DIRECTION   Ed. No. 11 / ON BEING A LEADER OR A FOLLOWER

THIS COMMENTARY WAS SUPPLIED TO BOTH OPINION EDITORS 

OF THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD AND THE AUSTRALIAN 1 JUNE 2024

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the middle of a storm.

“If you can’t say 

something good about someone 

better to say nothing.” 

                                                                                   

                                                                                     - ROBERT WRIGHT

He’s got a catchy name, he’s certainly photogenic, affable in personality and dapper in dress and he’s rich and leads the Country in Britain. In fact in a worldly sense he’s pretty much got it all. 

And there he was in front of that famously familiar glassy shining front door of 10 Downing Street in London to make an important announcement and the heavens opened up. And down it bucketed. No one dared to interrupt the speech. It was too important for a humble umbrella to intervene. But the rain had already turned Prime Minister Sunak’s no doubt very expensive suit into snake skin.

The British Media ridiculed the whole sorry Event. They were having a great old time living up to their reputation as ‘whingeing Poms’. No actually they're cynical and jaded.

“British media ridicule PM Rishi Sunak 

after he announces a general election in pouring rain.” 

                                              - ABC 27 May 2024

 

As the World Media described it the ‘optics’ were not good. The British PM not only had to contend with natures disapproval, and his own home grown Fleet Street Mob ridicule but at the end of the street a protestor was blaring a recording of the song “Things can only get better” used for British Labour’s landslide 1997 election win.  

So there he stood valiantly the British PM facing the collected furnace of the fire breathing dragon Smaug from the Hobbit. Or more aptly he was facing the crowd's tsunami of self made unhappy choices.

I’m not commenting on anything to do with politics here. I’m sure if the Labour Party or the leader of any other British Politico Conga Line of policies and values were in PM Sunak’s shoes that leader would be getting the same disrespectful treatment. 

It all said a few things that come as a warning to us all.

There is a general lack of civility even arrogance that is starting to infiltrate our beings that we should stomp on pretty quickly. If you’re pointing your finger at someone else be very careful there are three pointing back at you. The things we so coolly take as our entitlement can be taken away in a jot. Our whole quality of life is a total privilege that can disappear before our eyes. A little respect for life goes a long way.

Also something learned when I was working in the field of Corporate Identity... 

No matter how much time, energy, money and effort is put into making something appear a certain way a thing called R-E-A-L-I-T-Y will show through in the long run. And it can be very humbling even humiliating when the shite hits the fan.

It can be totally crushing for an individual, a family, a group, a club, a movement, a political party, a union, a sub group within a culture, a Government, a public service, a Media Group, 

a business, a bank, any organisation, a nation, or humanity in general. 

None of us is exempt from a huge come down.

Some people are courageous enough to put up their hands to lead.  Sure some do a much better job than others. If you think you have what it takes then let’s see your bravery on show. Otherwise shut up for your own sake lest you end up with egg all over your face.

This whole event featuring Rishi Sunak tore off the facade of not only where Britain is at but where our world is placed presently. It’s not good for us all. This Media Announcement said it by the bucket load.

We need to get down off our high horses of indignation about what we are all facing and what we feel we deserve or what we feel is right or wrong or what we feel we are entitled to and swallow our pride.

As the saying goes “Pride cometh before the fall” and our world seems blindly determined to position itself towards a staggeringly steep precipice. 

Is it too much to ask for some kindness and to show our real leaders some support? Simple encouragement would do just fine. And if you can’t see that there is any leader worth your support then may I repeat …find the courage in yourself to put your hand up and have a go…or simply put a plug in it.

Failure can make a stronger person. Success can make you even stronger. Or vice versa!

It is also true that if your sense of your own self is fragile or fractious failure can burn you to a crisp.  - NW

“Success is not final. Failure is not fatal.

It is the courage to continue that counts.” 

- WINSTON CHURCHILL

Someone who knew the full spectrum 

of what bravery, failure and success were.

And this piece of wisdom from a United States President:-

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." 

- THEODORE ROOSEVELT

        STOP, LOOK & LEAP         

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FOOTNOTE:

Britain's problem perhaps is that they are traditionalists and they don't want to move forward. BREXIT showed that. 

A lesson for all of us.