The end of the year often brings the countless articles about the best of this or that. From the most important news stories, to the best athletes or sports teams, to remembering those we lost, the media reflects upon "top" stories from the past year.
Imitation is the highest form of flattery. So, let me flatter the media by adopting their year-end reporting technique by reflecting on the top "leadership blunders" of 2008. Consider the following in no order:
1. While aggressively pursuing the elimination of prostitution, then New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigns after it is discovered that he is involved with a high profile prostitute, Ashley Dupre.
2. Former presidential candidate, John Edwards admitted to having an affiar despite pleding support for his wife of 31 years who was battling breast cancer.
Keeping with an emerging theme:
3. Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and chief of staff Christine Beatty practiced their text-messaging skills later revealed by the Detroit Free Press. Perhaps the "art" of letter writing is not "dead" yet.
4. For you teen idol groupies, there was Miley Cyrus, a.k.a. Hannah Montana, whose revealing photos in Vanity Fair caused both Snow White and Cinderella to blush.
Least you think all scandals are of a "seedy nature" consider these:
5. Alaska Senator, Ted Stevens, the seventh longest serving Senator in history was indicted by a federal grand jury on seven counts of failing to report $250,000 in gifts including home renovations, received from a major pipeline services company executive. (when did seven become the "lucky" number?)
6. One way to celebrate a government bailout is a trip to the Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, CA. At $400,000, U.S. tax payers treated AIG executives to banquets, golf outings and spa treatments. Merry Christmas! (and my parents told me there is no Santa Clause)
7. Or should the government need bail out money they could consider selling senate seats - Illinois Governor Rod Blagogievich might be available to serve as an advisor.
8. Or should one need a wardrobe make over? Consider running as a Vice-presidential candidate.
9. New York financier Bernard Madoff has been accused of running an elaborate Ponzi scheme. While loses are estimated at $50 billion, the scandal is unfolding at the time of this blog - so it may be a 2009 "top story".
And some scandals may just be "mistakes" - but when is a mistake a "scandal"?
10. Hilary Clinton proved that one's emory doesn't always serve one well. During her failed presidential campaign she claimed to have had experience in leading "under fire" by describing an incident at an airport in the Bosnia city of Tuzla in 1996 when she came under "sniper fire" after landing at the airport during her visit to the war torn country. Video shot in 1996 of her arrival showed a rather peaceful deplaning. Later Clinton admitted that her memory was mistaken.
Least you think our country is experiencing a crisis in leadership - remember that this annual ritual of focusing on "the best', "the worst", "the most" and "the top" often obscures "the ordinary". Rarely do we hear about the countless numbers of people who consistently show up for work, make dinner for their families, or remain faithful to their spouses. Our true leaders are the ones that without any fan fare consistently do what is expected, without expecting a "reward".
