[December 3, 2016] We’ve all been there, sitting in the classroom with other students and being told by the teacher that following the rules is important to learning. And so it is. But following the rules in everyday life also applies to leaders and they must understand that when the decision is made to forgo that requirement, there may be serious consequences. The question to each of us is, “Is it worth it?”
Take for example illegal voting in American elections. We know it happens but not the extent of that voting yet there have been complaints that any amount is too much. Written into U.S. law is the requirement that voters must be U.S. citizens in order to vote … but the Obama administration has knowingly and purposefully not enforced the law. It is widely known that the U.S. Justice Department has steadfastly refused to enforce the National Voter Registration Act.
The consequences are far reaching even if the illegal voters make no difference in the outcome of any election. First, by allowing illegal voting to occur (allowing any law violation to occur knowingly), the signal is sent that some laws don’t matter for politically-connected groups of people. Citizens start to believe that their elected representatives are untrustworthy and corrupt. It is not surprising to see that polling data for the past decade has shown a steady decline in the trust that citizens have for politicians.
Second, cherry picking which laws to obey and which to ignore or disobey is dangerous to any democracy because it gives the signal that such behavior is acceptable and morally preferable. As with any law, rule, procedure, etc. there are established and acceptable standards by which they can be amended, modified, or changed to reflect what may be seen as a deficiency. When leaders however pick some law to deliberately fail to enforce or purposely violate, then there exists a basic violation of leadership principles that will distance citizens from their elected representatives.
The solution for any leader is to take great care that they not only adhere to the law but also to the appearance that they are abiding by the law. When change is necessary, as it often is, then the leader can begin the process to make a change. This is the way strong leaders stand out from weak leaders; it also encourages greater trustworthiness in that leader.
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