Your Vote - Policy or Personality

Hello. It has been awhile since I have written so apologies. It has been in interesting year with my wife successfully winning her battle with cancer so that has taken a lot of my time. But I am back and will try and be more regular with putting out content.

We are in the midst of an intense and partisan election cycle. What else is new? Well, plenty. Mostly we are in unprecedented times when a former President, Donald Trump, is running again after having lost the last election four years ago. And his opponent? Vice-President Kamala Harris, who was brought in when the Democratic Party decided that it was a liability to continue to have President Biden as their front runner. Especially after his disastrous debate with Donald Trump earlier in the year.

Both Trump and Harris bring out extreme emotions on both the right and the left. They are either the greatest thing since sliced bread to some, or they are the devil incarnate to others. Neither positions are valid or should be criteria for electing someone to the most powerful office in the world. Which brings me to my topic. Personality or Policy.

Last election cycle four years ago, I had conversations with people where I challenged them on the notion that as an informed voter, you must, I repeat, MUST, vote for policy and not the personality of the candidates. I received some pushback, mostly about Trump.

"He's a buffoon." "He's arrogant." "He's childish in calling people names," etc. And guess what? I agree with all of those statements. From a pure leadership perspective, he doesn't pass the test. Real leaders keep their egos in check. Real leaders listen more than they talk. Real leaders don't put people down in public and never, ever act childish enough to make up derisive names for people. Yes, I get it. Trump, from a leadership perspective fails. I talk about Trump because he is the lighting rod for people four years ago, to not vote for him because of his behavior in office. However, my contention is that you cannot just vote for someone, merely because you don't like his/her personality. I wouldn't cast a vote against VP Harris because I don't like her laugh for instance. Whoever I cast a vote for will be based on their policy statements and what policies I believe will be best for the country.

We've become a country of what I call "Survivor Voters." As in the show Survivor. We vote for someone not because they are competent or incompetent. We vote because we like them better. We think they are better people.

Well, first of all, remember that what you see in the public eye rarely matches who these people are in closed doors. These are politicians. They smile and say anything they can to get your vote and your money. Oh, there are a few politicians out there trying to do the right thing but in my opinion, both the Dems and Republicans have failed us. T

They come out every two, four or eight years to tell you all the wonderful things they have done on your behalf, while putting our country in terrible debt while they grow richer and more powerful. They care about you when they need your vote. Otherwise, they do what they want.

Personality, when it comes to a vote, means absolutely nothing. I have had the same friends express "buyer's remorse" due to their vote four years ago. Well, they own that. And so do you. I don't care if you are left, right or independent. All of you have an obligation to this country to practice true leadership in your voting practices by using your critical thinking skills. I don't care if you hate Trump. I don't care if you hate Harris. All I care about is whether or not you, as a voter, have looked at the policy statements of both candidates, and then asked yourself the question "which policy do I believe is best for our country." Period.

The analogy I give is when I was the CSO at Microsoft. Let's say we submitted a budget for the next FY and we are hoping to get funding for five strategic initiatives. The CFO comes back and says that due to budget restrictions, we only have enough money to fund three out of five of those initiatives. So, my leadership team and I go back to the drawing board and have to stack rank the five initiatives. Which ones go by the wayside.

And then let's say, one of the five initiatives is something I am very invested in. I have to put my personal feelings out of the equation. I have to look at these initiatives from the lens of "which ones are best for my org, my company and which ones will bring the most ROI to us." That's it. And if my pet initiative doesn't pass that test, it is one of the ones we push aside for the next FY. That is what leaders do. Make the hard, critical decisions for the betterment of the org. Egos and personal opinions have to be put aside.

Same thing with your vote. Trump may bring out a visceral hate reaction in you. The thought of a Kamala Harris presidency may make your head want to explode. Fine. Your emotions are your emotions. But ultimately, your vote has to be founded on what policies you agree with that you believe are best for our country. This is not a TV reality show. This is the fate and future of our country. Your vote is worth more than just checking the box on who you like the best or who you dislike the least.

Men and women have shed precious blood in our history to ensure we have the right to vote. Their blood is worth more than "I can't stand that guy," or "I can't stand that woman."

Put on the same leadership hat you do in business to your vote this season. Vote policy. Not personality. I don't give a damn if you have to hold your nose while filling out the ballot. If someone you cannot stand, has a better policy platform for the country, from your optic, that is who you vote for.

I am sure I will get plenty of pushback from my point-of-view which is fine. We are a democracy and we all have the right to free speech. I just ask all of you as leaders, to use your leadership and critical thinking skills when making a vote one way or the other. Just as you would in making critical and strategic business decisions.

The stakes are too high to do anything less.

Till next time!