Principled leadership makes a huge difference.
And pluralism – the idea that people, of varying beliefs and backgrounds, respect each other as equal citizens in a democracy – is a big deal for sustaining a free country of 340 million individuals.
But combining principled leadership with pluralism creates some magic that can inspire others to exemplify the best of America. Such leaders understand that they represent all Americans in their constituencies, not merely those who share the same political ideology or who voted for them. They also rely on decency, not vitriol, to get things done.
President George W. Bush made observations about leadership in a recent compelling profile of President George Washington, noting that America’s first president “modeled what it means to put the good of the nation over self-interest and selfish ambition.”
This point of modeling pluralism as a leader was also one of the habits identified in our recent publication, We the People: Pluralism in Real Life. Sure, there are examples like Washington from the founding, but what about right now?
Cue the National Governors Association, which consistently demonstrates how the marriage of principled and pluralistic leadership works.
This formal network of state governors from across the country shows a better approach to navigating our differences as Americans. These governors never shy away from passionate disagreement on serious issues, but they also embrace a brand of politics that emphasizes civility and shared love of country. They’re also willing to genuinely lead by telling their constituents what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.
Returning to President Bush’s piece, he recounts a moment where then-General Washington addressed his dispirited troops. They were war-weary and angry with the Continental Congress for not paying their wages. A brewing mutiny threatened to derail the American experiment until Washington intervened.
“Washington spoke about their common cause, their duty to each other, and the righteousness of their mission,” President Bush wrote. “He also stressed his personal bond with them, refusing to elevate himself above his men.”
NGA leaders like Kevin Stitt, the Republican governor of Oklahoma; Wes Moore, the Democratic governor of Maryland; and Spencer Cox the Republican governor of Utah, follow President Washington’s example of laying out a shared mission and building personal bonds.
The trio demonstrated all these traits during the recent America at 250 Forum co-hosted by the Pew Charitable Trusts and Disagree Better.
They rightfully recognized that there are profound differences between many Americans that must be honored. As Stitt observed, “Oklahoma doesn’t want to be California, right? California doesn’t want to be Oklahoma … and that’s OK, we understand that…I think when we try to do a one size fits all … that’s a big problem.”
And while maintaining those differences is crucial to pluralism’s success, Americans shouldn’t bury their heads in the sand whenever someone disagrees with them.
“What this country needs most right now is we need to get to know each other,” Moore said. “People are just way too comfortable being in their silos and their buckets and on their sides.”
Cox emphasized that this path starts within communities through service, not at the national level.
“If you tell kids, don’t change the world, change your neighborhood, go serve and give back, the irony of all of that is that that’s actually how you do change the world,” Cox said. “That’s the only way we’re going to change this country, is rebuilding those local institutions where we get to know each other personally.”
Principled and pluralistic leadership isn’t a fairy tale or some quaint notion from a bygone era. It’s alive and well in the United States right now.
It appeals to our better angels as Americans, discourages the darkest impulses of our nature, and allows us to maintain ideological values that differ from well-intentioned political opponents.
We just need more of it. Embrace the challenge of encouraging our leaders to champion this behavior.
