Scandal

We are aware of the dangers of social media. As we become more connected, it is becoming more common to be held accountable for our actions. Each day, we witness people abusing power and human reaction his become entertainment and excitement. Everything that we do is in real time, so we want real time results. So people attempt to cut corners and abuse their power. Abusing power is not a simple process. It requires certain decision making and adjustment in morality. 

The well-known Watergate scandal that involved Richard Nixon involved some heavy political games that were not acceptable, which resulted in his resignation because all of the details were being leaked and the public became aware. If we were to examine this scandal through the result approach, we could agree that Richard Nixon was focused on the outcome of the election. He deployed dirty tricks and activities that many would not agree with. When you examine the result approach, there is an opportunity for sacrifice and reward. When you view sacrifice and reward and apply it to decision making, the overall gain and reward compensates for any negative things or consequences associated with the act or series of actions. Richard Nixon needed the election to be in his favor so bad that he was willing to put all at jeopardy. He used close aids that organized harassment on activist groups and political figure, as well as using governmental agencies to administer force and abused multiple lines of power. Result focus drove the decisions that he made.

Unsure of how many of you watch the popular show scandal (which you should), there is a similar issue that the show is built upon. President Fitz was elected in the office because his team rigged the votes in a small town in Ohio. He did not know of this until years later. They cheated because they felt like having him as a president was a sacrifice for the greater good. Of course like any other scandal, it’s OK until the secret is let out. This forced the group to become more scandalous to cover up the presidential scandal that took place. This cycle will continue every time there secret is on the verge of being revealed.  

As we move forward in discussing decision making, virtue plays a part, as well. When I speak in regards to virtue, I am talking about the natural feeling of entitlement to do or make any decisions. James Warren Jones, as known as Jim Jones, led a group of people called the People’s Temple. He persuaded so many people to take their lives by drinking laced punched. Quoting his words he said, “Don’t be afraid to die," that death is "just stepping over into another plane" and that it's "a friend." He had a very convincing tone when he spoke and he manipulated and influenced their perception and created a virtue that they all followed. For example, he banned all sexual activities unless between married couple. However, he engaged in many sexual activities with numerous members including homosexual relations. But he justified his homosexual behavior stating that all homosexual activity was only for the male temple adherents’ own good, purportedly to connect them symbolically with him. Virtue is a very powerful thing and it speaks closely to a person. Since virtue can be understood as something we accept as true, it’s really difficult to convince a person otherwise, which is why when decisions are made based on virtue, anything else doesn't matter. 

In leadership roles we must be mindful that people look up to us for various reasons. Leaders have the power to steer individuals into just about any direction. Its up to you as a leader to steer these individuals in the right direction! We must use our judgement as to what direction best fits the group that we are leading. This can sometimes be a hard choice because sometimes what we will personally do is not always good for the group overall.