The annual harbinger of spring is about to occur – the start of major league baseball’s spring training. It’s early this year but I see it as a time for a new dedication to insuring that we are practicing ethical, compassionate leadership, and making a positive difference in people’s lives by letting them know that they matter.
Sounds like Pollyanna, doesn’t it. I don’t disagree with that for a moment. But after watching the sentencings for Nassar and delving into the debacle that allowed such heinous behavior to occur, I feel the need to take a deep breath and look forward to warmer, sunnier days. Better days need to come for all of the victims involved in that decades long horror, as well as for all victims of criminal behavior. The one thing that often gets lost in the sauce for victims is how do we as leaders within our organizations and communities help them regain a sense of trust in themselves, in other people, and in our society at large. When one “responsible” person turns a deaf ear and a blind eye to the egregious conduct of another, all of society gets the blame. By now you’re wondering why I entitled this posting, “Spring.”
For me, spring represents the season of renewal and rebirth. We have a unique opportunity within this country to rededicate ourselves to insuring that victims of criminal conduct are treated with respect, dignity, and given the necessary sense that despite what has happened to them, they continue to have value as individuals. Nothing we say or do will erase the horror they endured. But we can work together within our workplaces and communities to minimize the damage as best we can. Not only can we do this, we really need to do this.
Spring is right around the corner. Time for a fresh start, one with a renewed sense of purpose.