The Myth of Being Squeaky Clean

There's an old saying in business: If you're not pissing someone off then you aren't working hard enough!

We like to think of wanting our leaders - both political and business – to be people of irreproachable virtue. That's very laudable goal. But not reality.

The fact is that as you go through life you can't help but accumulate detractors. Somewhere in your life you got someone angry at you, insulted them, or just did them wrong in some transaction or other manner. It may not even be true. Misunderstandings are very common. Bbut they think you did and perception is 9/10th's reality. Even just walking down the street these days you risk upsetting someone when they think you walked in front of them, cut them off, should have waited for them to pass, etc etc etc.

And perhaps you really did do something you shouldn't have or, in hind-sight at least, wasn't the right thing to do. No one is an angel (and if you did meet someone like that chances are good they've been living in a cave or some other grossly isolated life!).

It's impossible to avoid. Some people seem to wake up with a chip on their shoulder everyday and look for someone to lay the blame on. Others are incredible sensitive or fragile that nothing short of the softest touch and kindest words is enough to keep them at ease.

You just can't help it.

But that said, what you do afterwards is just as important. That is, do you constantly repeat the same actions? Or, do you try to make amends?

If you want to look long and deep enough you can always find someone who has an issue with someone else. That's a regrettable part of living in a tight society. And the more you strive for a lead or leadership role the more you put yourself in the cross-hairs of attack for reasons true or not. Sometimes I wonder why anyone would purposely do that to themselves (and their families in some case). Which itself is a problem as I'm sure we have lost the opportunity for many great leaders who simply chose not t put themselves through all of the microscopic scrutiny.

Whatever you consider "normal" issues verses issues too great to overlook is your own stand point. But just remember that no one with knowledge and experience to lead is also squeaky clean.

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