What if we each took the oath of office?

What if we each took the oath of office?

Happy Public Service Recognition Week!

It's not just the President of the United States and members of Congress who take an oath of office. Every one of the two million plus federal employees do. And beyond those who take the oath, there are countless more who dedicate their careers to lifting society.

Here at Model Leader, we have great respect for those who choose to serve the public. We are working with foundation leaders serving students at the National Cathedral School , with healthcare leaders serving patients at Mass General Brigham , with government leaders keeping our food safe at USDA and with association leaders who are creating community for scholarship at the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) . Among others!?

These leaders share a commitment to contributing to something bigger than themselves. They share a desire to leave a legacy that impacts generations. They give up pay in exchange for service. They give up recognition in exchange for personal fulfillment. For most of them, especially at the leadership level, it’s not just a job for them, but a calling. As we close out this Public Service Recognition Week, take a moment to thank a public servant who makes a difference in your life. One way to do so is to go to the Partnership for Public Service's Gratitude Wall.

Last week, we facilitated a meaningful discussion on what it means to take an oath. One of the leaders read the oath aloud as the team affirmed it. It got us thinking. What if each of us treated our citizenship as an oath, just as these public servants do? What if each of us felt an obligation to uphold the US Constitution by voting, by serving others in the community, by protesting, by calling our representatives, by extending trust to elected, appointed and career leaders in our government? If we were to take our commitment to country as seriously as the leaders we worked with last week do, a cycle of generative trust could take place. We yearn for and work for the unity, peace and healing that this could bring.


What if you were taking an oath like the one below as part of your daily commitment to society??

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

What values are public servants supporting and defending? What values might we all support and defend as part of this great democratic experiment? We need look no further than the preamble:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Public service leaders have a special obligation to country. Yet, the future of society and our democracy is up to each of us.

Happy Public Service Recognition Week! And to all of you out there serving the public, thank you for your service!

Let’s keep lifting,

Ariel and Andrew

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Andrew Marshall的更多文章

  • Three Strategies to Lead with Hope, When Hope Is Hard to Come By

    Three Strategies to Lead with Hope, When Hope Is Hard to Come By

    It's simple to say and hard to do: lead with hope. And I’m writing about this topic today because it has become harder…

    7 条评论
  • How to Navigate Thanksgiving

    How to Navigate Thanksgiving

    Here we are: On the cusp of gathering with the one group we cannot choose, and right after a divisive election: our…

    7 条评论
  • Model Leader of the Month: Admiral Thad Allen

    Model Leader of the Month: Admiral Thad Allen

    This week, Andrew had the opportunity to interview Admiral Thad Allen, former Commandant of the Coast Guard. Thad is a…

    3 条评论
  • Model Leader of the Month: Dr. Calvin Moore, Jr.

    Model Leader of the Month: Dr. Calvin Moore, Jr.

    We are pleased to celebrate the leadership of Dr. Calvin E.

    4 条评论
  • Five Criteria For a Successful Team Retreat

    Five Criteria For a Successful Team Retreat

    One of our favorite ways to develop leaders is through team retreats. In the past year we have run over 20 retreats…

    3 条评论
  • A Call to Action on July 4

    A Call to Action on July 4

    Losing Hope Our country is imperfect. Our systems can fail us and others.

    2 条评论
  • Model Leader of the Month: Meghan Wieten-Scott

    Model Leader of the Month: Meghan Wieten-Scott

    Congratulations to Meghan Wieten-Scott, Senior Director of External Affairs at Blue Star Families, who was selected as…

    7 条评论
  • How to Lead for 99 Years

    How to Lead for 99 Years

    This week my grandmother, the unmatchable Nonie Nelson Sorensen, passed away at 99 years of age, eight months after her…

    2 条评论
  • How Getting Outside Can Improve Your Leadership (and Life)

    How Getting Outside Can Improve Your Leadership (and Life)

    Nothing beats springtime in DC. Once the first cherry blossoms bloom, it’s nonstop color until summer when the leaves…

    8 条评论
  • Navigate Transitions: End Well

    Navigate Transitions: End Well

    One year ago, on St. Patrick’s Day, we registered our LLC and Model Leader was born, marking a significant milestone in…

    2 条评论

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了