Finally Some Leadership

There are so many failures in leadership at Penn State over the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal.  Assuming the Freeh report is even remotely accurate, a leadership vacuum has existed for some time.  It is safe to assume that Sandusky's behavior was covered up at all levels.  Joe Paterno had too much power, but someone had to accede theirs for him to have complete control.  Ultimately, the buck has to stop with the person in charge, in this case, the President of the University.  It clearly didn't with Graham Spanier.

Early this morning, the statue of Joe Paterno was removed and taken away.  Current President Rod Erickson ordered it down, covering the area with a tarp to conceal it from those looking on.  The removal of the statue was treated with respect and dignity, knowing there would be mixed feelings on the action.  Erickson didn't place blame but said the statue was removed because it had "become a source of division and an obstacle to healing."  I believe he is correct.  For the first time in months, a difficult decision was made by a leader at Penn State.  It's too bad it took 14 years for it to happen.

There is more to come in the way of sanctions and punishment for the Penn State faithful.  It isn't fair to the kids who are there today, but they must accept it as all programs have for violating the rules.  In this case, the stakes aren't cars for the athletes, but the souls of the victims.  What price is too much?  No one will be happy with the punishment, but it will stand and Penn State will move on-hopefully to honor the victims and prevent new ones from happening.

Leadership is a precarious mantle.  Many of us prepare ourselves all our lives to run organizations.  Are we prepared however for the difficult decisions?  Are we prepared to stand up in the face of adversity?  Are we prepared to be ostracized and shunned?  I would say, we are not.  I would say that many of us are not willing to fore go all we've strived for to maintain our core values.  That's why we have to honor, cherish and value those leaders who do.  Take a stand, make a mark-that's true leadership.

Filler

A tradition at our house is to watch the All-Star game each summer. I will look forward to watching tomorrow night with my son. Over the past 10 years, we've also watched the Home Run Derby the night before, which is tonight. Initially, it was fun to watch but in recent years, it has become a long night, with round after round going long into the night. Tonight, to my dismay, the evening started with a song from the Zack Brown band. It's not that I don't like music, but it does nothing for the event except prolong the evening. Like most sporting events, the Home Run Derby adds too many unconnected activities to try to appeal to a wider audience. Perhaps it works, but it makes for a long evening. I think this entire event is due for a process change, but no one asked me. In many organizations, we try to combine meetings and activities that are not always congruent. We keep adding agenda items that are unrelated which dilutes the purpose of the meeting. Thus, desired results are not achieved and another meeting is required to achieve the original purpose. Alternatively, the meeting goes far too long to achieve the original results creating fatigue and a lack of enthusiasm for future gatherings. Meetings are important, but resist the urge to fill it with unnecessary items. Short and sweet-it can't be beat.