Meet the New Boss...Same as the Old Boss

January 20, 2025

Dear Leaders,

Did you ever think that you were rid of something only to have it reappear?? Today, the United States returns to the presidency of Donald Trump.? We’ve been down this road before, and we can only wonder what will happen next.? Beyond the politics, leaders don’t always get a choice in their chain of command, but we act in accordance with the law and our principles to do what is right while standing up for our people.

Donald Trump is not a man who instills feelings of ambivalence.? To some, he is the messiah.? He can do no wrong, he brings peace and prosperity, and all is well.? He fights for them, he stands up for the little guy, he will end the deep state that secretly runs the country and drain the swamp.? To others, he is Satan incarnate, openly flouting the Constitution and the legal process, acting imperiously with no understanding of governance or regard for anyone or anything but himself.

When we look at him in comparison to others who held the office, the distinctions are clear.? He is his own cause, he is a law unto himself, he revels in and expects worship and adulation, and loyalty to him is a one-way street.? Everything he says and does is self-serving, and any benefit to the populace or the nation is purely coincidental.

Beyond that, how different is he really from other chief executives?? All had their foibles, more than a few acted in open disregard for the law and the Constitutional limits of their office, and their personal conduct before and while in office was better suited for what are politely known as adult movies.?

We often don’t get to choose those who are in positions of power and leadership, and even when we do through the electoral process, we don’t always get the choice we want.? As leaders, we are also followers, for everyone answers to someone.? In 46 years of military and federal civil service, I served under nine presidents ranging from the great to the fair to the absurdly clueless, and I will leave it to your own judgment as to who was which.?

As a young soldier, I did not question, and I obeyed.? Later in my military career, I saw questionable policy decisions, but I did my part with the intent of ensuring the safety of my soldiers and the limited benefit we brought to others.? As an executive in the civil service many years later, I saw what I believed to be wrong and wouldn’t hesitate to question it.? Sometimes, it wasn’t worth the fight, and I went along, again looking out for my people and acting within legal limits, but when I had to draw a line, I did so, and forced them to uphold the legal process.

Regardless of who is in elected office or in position of authority, leaders need to do their duty well and within legal and ethical parameters.? We ensure that those in positions above us do not act against our people, and we do not ask them to do anything to compromise their oaths, their personal integrity, or their values.? When we stand up for them and for what is right, we are acting in accord with something greater than ourselves, and while others might demand to be served, we continue to serve.? ??

Sincerely,

Tim