I have one self-admitted failure in my life, I’ve never run for a public office. I believe that everyone with strong convictions should do so at least once. Those of my friends who have made this step had one character attribute which perhaps I lack. They could accept “unwarranted” criticism. Think about it. In any elected position, you are going to get criticized for almost everything you do. On the surface that’s pretty harsh. But underneath it says that in politics you really have to believe in what you are doing. You can’t succeed if you flip back and forth among various positions based on wind direction.

And that then becomes one essence of leadership. A leader should have firm feelings about the direction he or she is headed in order to stay the course over the long haul. Books have been written on this subject, so I’ll quit theorizing and get practical.

While reading leadership/business books, I always tried to answer: What can I use from this? One reply that continually popped up was to apply the idea in your own life. For example, you read that the best companies have a central driving mission that hasn’t changed in 10 or 20 years. Take this and look at your own organization, regardless of its size. Do you have a focused mission that moves your organization all in the same general direction? Or is it just some stock words written on a plaque and hung on a wall? One way to tell is if you refer to your mission statement occasionally to guide decisions. If you never look at it, that says it all.

School starts here in a couple weeks. Morning and afternoon traffic patterns will change drastically beginning in the wee hours of the morning with school busses and students hitting the roads. Be mindful and prepared to stay safe in the most dangerous activity most of us experience: driving on local roads.

Gene Canavan is retired and lives in Prattville, Alabama, USA