Categories
Leadership

Does This Bother You?

Timothy Geithner, Obama’s – and America’s – new Treasury Secretary, failed to pay more than $34,000 in taxes, which were dubbed “innocent mistakes or technicalities.”

Tom Daschle, nominee for Health and Human Services, just cleared up his “stupid mistake” by paying over $100,000 in back taxes and interest due from 2005 -2007.

God, grant us mercy. Someone once said that people get the leaders they deserve. I say you get what you tolerate. Elected officials who have made these types of “mistakes” in personal management do not bolster my confidence in their ability to oversee $800 billion in financial bailout allocations or new health care plans.

Rewarding public officials with higher office in spite of their obvious disdain for tax law only accelerates our nation’s credibility crisis.

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach…not a lover of money… He must manage his own household well….

Question for aspiring leaders: Where might I be vulnerable to large or small acts of blatant hypocrisy?

By Ken

Dr. Ken Cochrum (DMin, Bethel University) is Vice President of Global Digital Strategies at Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) in Orlando, Florida. An avid cyclist and aspiring guitarist, he also holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas and a Masters of Arts in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. He recently co-founded Indigitous.org, a movement passionate about connecting people to Jesus using digital strategies. He previously served as vice president of Cru’s student-led movements worldwide. He and his wife Ann spent 13 years in East Asia where they raised their two children. Ken blogs regularly at www.onleadingwell.com.

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