Leadership is Taking Responsibility

"I think the army disappointed itself to a large degree,"

"Something in the command and control concept did not meet expectations and undoubtedly led to a disparity between what we were capable of achieving and what we actually achieved,"

Prime Minister Olmert's statements before the Winograd Commission may be an adult version of the small child next a broken vase and claiming "not me " when Mom or Dad ask who broke the vase.

Or a more unnerving version a person in occupying a position of public trust whose choices could affect the lives of an entire country including the choices concerning the waging of war. Choosing costs lives, choosing wrongly or indecision unnecessarily puts people at risk.

Or even more disquieting is when the failure to accept personal responsibility arises from an indifference to others.

None of these options are comforting, at the least such a person may act in his or her own self interest may express itself in a fear of public disgrace and arrogance works for the public good. However like a stopped clock is only correct but for two minutes a day. A regular occurrence but too infrequent to be relied on. Any other option opens the country to hands of one who may treat power as a personal plaything or worse a tool of oppression.

Soldier’s follow the orders of the civil authorities in whose hands are vested the life and death decisions. Such people have no business as leaders and shame on anyone who would prop them up.