The political turmoil in Dublin over the past few weeks has made front-page headlines around the world.
For Taoiseach (Leader of the government of Ireland) Brian Cowen, problems started following revelations that he had not disclosed dealings he had with former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, Sean Fitzpatrick, in the run-up to the Banks Guarantee in 2008. (This was when the Irish Government put in place a guarantee arrangement to safeguard all deposits, bonds and debts with several banks including the Anglo Irish Bank.)
Whatever the dealings were, positive or negative; there was no transparency to them. Perhaps Brian Cowen could have learned from the philosophy of John Harlin, who at 30, died trying to climb the Eiger “diretissima”, straight up.
“Straight up is a way of serving a drink. It is also a way to climb a mountain and of living a life.” says James Ramsey Ullman the author of Straight Up - the account of the young mountaineer’s life.
Straight up is a challenging and demanding way to live. It can feel risky, but it’s also authentic and rewarding. In our response to leadership challenges, it helps if we are adaptable and flexible. It also helps if we avoid unnecessary posturing and political gamesmanship and so keep things simple and direct.
How straight up can you be in your work? Are all your dealings as transparent as they could be?
For more information on leadership visit the Call of the Wild website.
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