“True leaders always practice the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibility for all their actions.”

–Anonymous

Two guys, both season ticket holders for their local football team, the Anytown Bluebirds, are sitting in a bar, commiserating over their team’s woes.

“What a season! Could we have imagined this year would be so bad?”

His friend replied, “And how ’bout management…especially the owner? How does he manage to make so many bad moves? It’s not like he’s new to the game. He’s been involved in the sport at some level or another for what, almost fifty years?”

“Yeah, no kidding. When he took ownership of the organization from that last guy, we were ready for a change—you know, kind of a return to normal football. Boy, did he over-promise and under-deliver!”

“Well, in all fairness, the game’s changed a lot in fifty years. And I’m not so sure he’s calling the shots; in fact, his executive team might be driving a lot of the decisions, and I’m not convinced they know what they’re doing, either.”

“Yep, his friend said, “The result of their decisions says it all: A losing season.”

“Hey, let me ask you a question. How did this guy become owner of a team? The league vetted him, right? But who really is this man?”

“Obviously the league was fooled. And, of course, the other individuals bidding to run the organization were even worse options than he was. That said, someone should have known he wasn’t up to the job.”

“Like who?”

“Oh, you know, his family, maybe? His wife?”

His friend nodded. “I guess when you accumulate that much influence and money, and convince people you’re the man for the job, it’s hard to stop that momentum. And the family just rolls with it.”

“But he’s done some weird things that don’t really seem to help the organization, like raising ticket prices by over 7 percent…and the prices on concessions, souvenirs, and team gear have gone up, too.”

“Yeah, and he actually lets some folks slip in for free through one of the gates, and then the ushers disburse them all over the stadium, trying to keep the rest of us from noticing…even though there’s a waiting list for potential season ticket holders. It’s hard to understand.” He shook his head.

The friends went on to discuss the fact that the owner no longer has the confidence of even his players–the Bluebirds–and acknowledged the poll showing the owner’s “under water” with his own team–probably due in part to the fact that, as the team grows weaker, the rest of the teams in the league grow stronger.

“All that may be true, but what’re we going to do? After all, this is our team, too…it doesn’t just belong to him. We’ve got to support the team.”

“Of course we do, even if he’s made some changes that don’t make a bit of sense. I guess we need to continue to show up, read the stat sheets, and stay informed about what’s happening. Good thing it’s just football–it’s not like we’re talking about national security!”

His friend shook his head. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, but it is difficult to remain involved and encouraged when we can see what’s happening. But remember, owners come and go, and we just have to endure this one or, better yet, hope he changes course and the team comes back.”

“Well, we can only hope, but he sure seems set in his ways. No sign yet that he plans to pivot in his leadership of the organization, or even take any blame for things that’ve gone wrong.”

The two men looked down at their empty mugs and shook their heads. One turned to the other and said, “C’mon, man. Let’s order another round, cut the malarkey, and talk about something else.”

*Okay, I had a little fun with this one. Sometimes, all we can do is shake our heads and smile. Isn’t it great, though, that we live in a country where we can “poke the bear” without fear of retribution? We know every president goes into the job realizing it requires taking some hits. Trump took them for four years, hit back like the New York businessman he was, and it cost him his re-election. Now, President Biden is taking hits–even from his own party. And, if you haven’t been watching, he’s hitting back, too.