The fine line between compromise and “Shove it”

Todd Ordal //December 5, 2012//

The fine line between compromise and “Shove it”

Todd Ordal //December 5, 2012//

I don’t believe this is the best forum for debating politics—though stirring things up is always a bit of fun…

It’s difficult to understand whether our current national politicians have a primary goal of leading and pressing a reasoned course of action or getting and staying elected.

Is the Republican Party’s current debate about potential changes to immigration policy because of values and better alignment with the Constitution’s governing principles, or is it merely to attract more Hispanic voters? Do Republicans who signed Grover Norquist’s Tax Payer Protection Pledge really believe the top income tax rate cannot be changed, or are they afraid the G-man will assault them?

Does Harry Reid really believe taxing the wealthiest among us will help our fiscal problems in a meaningful way, or is he just pandering to the masses of well- meaning but perhaps misguided 99 percenters? Did President Obama’s assaults on the banking industry before the election represent deep-seated beliefs or an understanding of how the issue played in the swing states?

I’m cynical about the answers to all of these questions.

It’s not just elected officials who contract the political disease. When staying in office becomes more important than the reasons for being there, weirdness reigns and trouble ensues—whether political office or the CEO’s suite.

To be the most effective leader possible, I believe you must be willing to get fired or quit. Somewhere between compromise and “shove it,” there’s a line to consider before acting. It’s a different line for everyone, and it moves and situations change, but it’s worth considering before you encounter it. Unfortunately, the amount of the paycheck ends up being one of the most considered factors when executives are presented with otherwise untenable situations.

I recently had lunch with a CEO whose perspective I appreciate. Discussing an upcoming board meeting, he described an issue on which he was at odds with an influential board member. He’d already figured out where his line was, identified his negotiating strategy and considered his options. More leader than politician, he’d determined that staying employed at his current firm wasn’t as important to him as doing the right thing.

Yes, you must get elected to govern and you need to have political skill to get to the C-suite. But as Colin Powell once said, “Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off.”