On Jan. 2, all the public officials we elected in 2023 will begin their term in office.
For some, it will be the beginning of what has been multiple terms in their office, so it will be no different than past years. For others, it is a new beginning filled with hope, big ideas, and lists of things they want to accomplish over the next four years. As someone who has taken office both as a rookie and then four years later as a veteran, I have felt what both groups will be experiencing that day.
My hope for these elected officials, both new and seasoned, is that they lay the politics aside and focus on leadership. Mississippi doesn’t need politicians; we need leaders. There is a big difference between the two.
Politicians take positions based on polls. Politicians try to decipher what is the “correct” (i.e., what will help me raise money to get reelected) side of an issue and then jump up in front of the masses and act like they are leading them.
In contrast, leaders rely on bedrock principles that form the foundations of their beliefs. When deliberating on an issue, leaders study the facts and determine what is best for their constituents not what is popular. During times of conflict, leaders cling to their principles — a foundation that makes them strong.
The reason we don’t have many leaders, especially in both our state and federal governments, is because leadership comes with a cost. Most times, the cost is one many politicians cannot stomach and are not willing to pay.
First, as a leader, you will have to make decisions that will negatively impact people who you care about. That is a fact and is the most important thing that leaders should understand. Politicians shy away from those decisions for fear of losing votes while leaders press forward doing what is right.
Second, as a leader, you will be disliked, despite your best efforts to do the best for the most amount of people. Thanks to social media, sometimes that dislike will morph into hate. While politicians are constantly seeking approval, leaders learn to live with the negativity that comes from simply doing your job.
Third, as a leader, you will be misunderstood and will not always have the chance to defend yourself. Even with social media you cannot reach everyone.
As a young public service commissioner, I was struggling with a decision that I needed to make. I knew the right decision would not be a popular one and would negatively affect many of my constituents along the Gulf Coast. Exasperated and stressed, I ventured next door to my fellow commissioner’s office. Nielsen Cochran was not only a fellow public service commissioner but also a friend and mentor. I explained my situation to Nielsen and how I was struggling with what to do. Nielsen slowly took a drag off his Marlboro and gave me quite possibly the best advice I’ve ever been given.
“Michael, you need to do the right thing, whatever you believe that to be. If doing the right thing costs you this job, well then, this damn job isn’t worth having.”
I continue to live by this advice today.
So, to all our elected officials, please, be the leaders that the great state of Mississippi desperately needs. Do the things that need to be done to make Mississippi a better place to live, work, and raise a family. If doing that cost you your job, it was not your fault. The job just wasn’t worth having.
Good luck and God bless.
