Navigating Change

I grew up in a household that celebrated being American. My Dad, a WWII and Korea veteran, taught us to have gratitude and pride. History matters and he made sure we understood the history of this nation. Filled with his inspiration, I couldn't wait to vote once I turned eighteen. Over the years, I have never missed an election, and, like most voters, I have learned to manage the day after disappointment that comes when your candidates don't prevail. The fact is, you get a new chance every four (or two) years and, until then, you stay hopeful and supportive. Rooting for an elected official, especially a president, is like rooting against the country. We should hold leaders accountable but, ultimately, want them to lead effectively and thoughtfully.

Over the past couple of months, I have struggled to find peace which is weird since I generally like and embrace change. In my past working life, I was a change driver, responsible for identifying and bringing about new processes and approaches. I know from experience that change can be difficult and uncomfortable, but my own level of discomfort has been a surprise. After a couple of weeks of contemplation, I have figured out why this election response has been so different for me.

In every prior election, I have believed that the elected leader truly has the best interests of all Americans at heart. There are always differences of opinions but there is usually a shared, unified intent. Watching the actions of our current administration, I confess that I don't have faith that there is an intent to serve all Americans. The pace of, and approach to, change has been hard to absorb. I know that Elon Musk is an innovator, and from past experience, I know that innovators like to "run fast and break things". In the private sector, disruptive change can drive great outcomes. Generally, however, disruptive change is contained within a single organization or is focused on a single concept or technology.

Applying a disruptive change mindset to the Federal government is a risky path forward. Yes, there is waste to be identified and eliminated.... yes, there are tremendous opportunities for optimization.... but running fast and breaking things in the government can also result in the breakage of key controls and (ultimately) people. Consider the decision to halt USAID and the impact to farmers in the US. Consider the impact of eliminating the Dept. of Education before control moves to the state. Parents of children with special needs depend upon the support of the Dept. of Education to ensure that their children have effective access to needed expertise. Eliminating funding to research grants leaves existing clinical trials, and the subjects included in those trials, stranded.

I support smart change, but it feels like we are moving forward in chaos and uncertainty. I worry about the impact to my family and our nation. Praying that there is a big picture that I haven't seen, and that leadership remains open to course correction, when warranted.