adairleadership.com

adairleadership.com
  • Meet Fred
    • Overview of My Work with Leaders
    • Operating Principles
    • Personal Background
  • Client Work
    • Key Roles I Play
    • Typical Engagement Options
    • Case Examples
  • Adair on Leadership
    • Overview
    • Past Articles & Interviews
    • Adair on Leadership Blog
    • For Further Reference
      • The ‘Classics’
      • The ‘New Classics’
      • Books to Read
    • It Tolls For Thee: answering the call of leadership
  • Contact
  • Blog

Settling For Least Worst: I’m Voting for ‘Armstrong Neither’

Home

Settling For Least Worst: I’m Voting for ‘Armstrong Neither’

By Fred Adair

Strong man child showing bicep muscles concept for strength, confidence or defence from bullying

Remember the first time you heard this concept?  High school for me I think it was; probably cruising for burgers with some pals, none of us too happy with the choices before us and having to pick amongst a selection of equally unappetizing alternatives.

What’ll it be, fellas?  1) Wimpy’s, 2) Topps, 3) Burger King or 4) Hunger?  Option 4 is not acceptable!  Let’s take the ‘least worst’ choice and be done with it.  (Nobody had a real strong preference for any of them, but hey, ya gotta eat!)

I’m reminded of this in reading the latest polls about our choices here in America for national leadership.  http://www.wsj.com/articles/republican-national-convention-cleveland-set-for-a-donald-trump-show-1468801893

A new Wall St. Journal/ NBC News national poll finds that the two leadership choices dominating the national conversation are the most unpopular people in modern times to serve as major party nominees for US President.

Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump as the conventions approach by a 5-point margin, 46% to 41%, in head to head consideration, so the likely victor at this point is clear.  However, voters show their true feelings about our leadership alternatives when asked ‘which candidate shows the right judgment to be a good president’ – and a dark horse candidate emerges!

Clinton gets 37% while Trump falls to 25% on this score.  Squeezing in between them with a strong 32% of the American electorate is – ‘Neither.’

A third of the American people by this poll throw up their hands and say the process has failed to produce an acceptable choice!

Here’s the headline this story conjures up:

‘Third Party Candidate “Armstrong Neither” Bests Trump, Closing On Clinton As Major Parties Approach Political Conventions’

Hardly a vote of confidence for our political system, is it? Sad to say, we’ve got one of those ‘least worst’ choices first encountered years ago in adolescence.

What’ll it be, people?  Wimpy’s, Topps or Burger King?  1) Clinton, 2) Trump or 3) Neither?  Yes, we’ve got that same ‘least worst’ high school conundrum again, but Option 3 is not a choice.  (Hold your nose and vote, but ya gotta vote!)

I wish I could say I wasn’t expecting the debates to take us back to high school as well!

Comments? I’d like to hear your thoughts.  Email me at fadair@adairleadership.com

Adair on Leadership
Follow my blog

Recent Posts

  • Retreat and Renewal in The Fishing Chapel October 18, 2019
  • Short Takes: on ‘Command’ July 24, 2019
  • Less is More: leadership lessons of modernist architect Mies van der Rohe February 28, 2019
  • Teaching Napoleon’s Glance: the CEO’s Role in Careers November 6, 2018
  • When the Sirens Sing July 5, 2018
  • On Commitment February 28, 2018
  • It Tolls for Thee: answering the call of leadership January 3, 2018
  • Managing Yourself December 1, 2017
  • Go Up for ‘What,’ Go Down for ‘How’ – A Paradox of Leadership October 31, 2017
  • Citizen Leadership: ‘You got it, baby!’ October 1, 2017
  • The ‘Goldilocks’ Board of Directors: getting the balance right in CEO-Board relationships September 1, 2017
  • Leadership or Followership: which is more important? August 1, 2017
  • One-on-ones July 1, 2017
  • There’s been a disturbance in the Force May 31, 2017
  • This Is Not The Leadership Team Our Company Needs: what do I do? May 1, 2017
  • Picked Up Pieces March 31, 2017
  • Lost in the Middle February 27, 2017
  • A Lesson in Civics January 31, 2017
  • Three Wise Men – stories for the New Year December 30, 2016
  • When someone shows you what they are, you believe them. November 28, 2016
  • The Perfect Job October 20, 2016
  • Who Makes the Better CEO: an All-Star Point Guard or a Championship Golfer? September 1, 2016
  • CEOs Have to Cause Conflict August 1, 2016
  • Settling For Least Worst: I’m Voting for ‘Armstrong Neither’ July 1, 2016
  • ‘Don’t Get Fooled Again’: Context is Everything June 1, 2016
  • Impatience and the CEO May 1, 2016
  • Silent Rebellion and the Irreducible Leadership Task April 1, 2016
  • Letter to a Chief HR Officer March 1, 2016
  • How Do You Know You Need a CEO Coach? February 1, 2016
  • The Questions of Leadership January 1, 2016

Categories

  • Adair on Leadership
© 2013 - 2016 Adair Leadership. All rights reserved