This is the final column in a four-part series in the Washington Examiner by Carly Fiorina. This series focuses on what citizens can do to impact the political culture, their role in leading our citizen government, and ends with how to approach the 2018 midterm elections. You can read the third column here.
Democrats say President Trump has brought our political discourse to a new low. They are right. Republicans will say Democrats began the cycle of personal insults (John McCain was “racist,” Mitt Romney was “misogynist,” and Republicans were going to put “y’all back in chains”). Republicans are also right. And as we approach the midterm elections, we are bombarded hourly by countless examples of just how mean and personal our politics has become. If politics is sport, that sport is now a cage match. There is no blow too low and the only thing that counts is winning. As insults and charges are hurled back and forth, what’s a citizen to do?
As we approach this midterm election, we should think less about our “team,” and more about the qualities we need in each person running — and whether those individuals are truly worthy of a position of leadership. With all the festering problems we face, we need problem-solvers everywhere — including in Congress — and someone’s problem-solving and leadership abilities are not determined by the letter R or D after their name.
How, in this polarized climate, does one identify a problem-solver? We must look beyond those who talks the talk to those who walk the walk. We should focus less on what they say — too many politicians will say anything to win — and focus instead on what they do and how they do it.
We should ask:
How have they lived their lives?
What choices have they made? Leadership is a practice. It is not something that comes with a title and position. Leadership is a choice that is made over time. When considering candidates, look to those who have made that choice, over and over again, even when the going has gotten tough.
What have they done?
Do they have a track record of results? A candidate must demonstrate that they haven’t just talked a big game but have actually accomplished meaningful goals and solved real problems. Activity is not accomplishment. Accomplishment in leadership is changing the order of things for the better — not little tactical adjustments, but challenges to festering problems presented by the status quo.
Have they stood for principle even when inconvenient?
Simply winning doesn’t mean someone is principled. You know someone has principles when they’re willing to follow those principles even when inconvenient and at a cost to themselves. You know someone has principles when they have rejected what is politically expedient for what is right, when they have had to tell their own supporters that they may disagree, or when they have shown the courage to admit they’re wrong about something.
Have they demonstrated an ability to work well with others?
No leader accomplishes anything worthwhile acting alone. Leaders know that collaboration is vital to problem solving. Does a candidate pride themselves on “going it alone”? If so, they likely don’t have a record of accomplishment to match their confidence. True leaders lift others up. They don’t spend all their time worrying about themselves.
Have they demonstrated an ability to problem-solve?
Ultimately, leadership is about solving problems. So often we elect people who describe problems, use them as wedges, and fire up their base to win elections. Instead, let’s look to those who understand their role is to solve problems through humble service defined by collaboration, clear-eyed approaches, and hard work.
Issues and platforms matter, of course, and we should vote for those who represent our best vision for the country. However, if we want our representatives to actually make progress on the issues that matter most to us, we also need to assess whether a candidate can truly lead. Otherwise, they are a reliable vote for the party bosses, but that doesn’t make them a problem-solver. As you consider your candidates this November, ask yourself whether they are worthy of working for you, or if they simply bring more personality, rhetoric, outrage, and insult to the table. Our Constitution makes you, as a citizen, sovereign. Ask yourself whether the candidate is worthy of the Constitution they swear to uphold.
I speak with people all across our great country who are saddened by the vitriol and outrage we see daily in our public square. So often I am asked: “What should we do?” In these pages over the last several months, I have tried to respond. We cannot leave it to political parties, or the media, or strongmen who claim to have all the answers, or the outcome of yet another election to make our politics better. We need to look in the mirror at the citizen staring back at us. We need to raise our expectations of those who want to represent us, and we ourselves need to model the behavior we expect of our representatives.
Believe it or not, I am optimistic. I meet people every day who are making a positive difference, collaborating with others even when they don’t agree with them on everything, and solving problems as a result. I see role models and leaders all around. They aren’t famous. They don’t get to talk on TV. And yet, they change the order of things for the better.
Alexis de Tocqueville observed: “The strength of a democracy is measured in the quality of functions performed by private citizens.”
Our democracy is indeed strong. Tocqueville reminds us that it is citizens and civil society that define our nation.
Carly Fiorina (@CarlyFiorina) ran for president in 2016 and for the Senate in 2010. She was CEO of Hewlett-Packard from 1999 to 2005.
