In today’s world, it can be tough being a leader, because people in high power are doing the best they can to make people, organizations and political systems happy.

I sat and watched Barack Obama get grilled last night by Bill O’Reilly (see below.) Man…that was tough. I have never seen Obama get the least bit flustered, but on this one, he was really wiggling around. Of course, O’Reilly is usually tough, and one of the goals of the interview was to get Obama to admit that the surge in Iraq has been successful. Obama never really admitted during the interview that the surge has been successful, and many of the reporters later were criticizing Obama for not admitting when he is wrong…but maybe he really does not believe we have been successful due to the billions we are spending. Who knows?

When it comes to choosing a national leader, I want to choose a leader who takes responsibility for their actions AND for the nation’s actions. S— does not flow upstream…it flows downstream. So, at the end of the day, I want a leader who is going to be willing to stand up and say “I was wrong…and here is what I am going to do about it.”  In this post, I am not saying that Obama is wrong and needs to admit it…the interview simply brought the topic of responsibility to mind.   This character trait of self responsibility is huge! It is something that only a few people master in a lifetime, because more often than not, the ego is so much more powerful than our vulnerable side.

As you are considering the topic of self responsibility today, I will leave you with a short quiz. Take out a piece of paper, and rate yourself from 1-5, with 5 being the strongest/highest/most responsible score.

1) How responsible are you for your own behaviors, both positive and negative traits and how those impact people AND the systems you are a part of?

2) How responsible are you for your own happiness?

3) How responsible are you for becoming a more authentic leader?

4) How responsible are you with seeking out opportunities for growth and development in order to become a more authentic leader?

5) How responsible are you for how you use your time and financial resources?

6) How responsible are you for the companies you do business with? The people you spend time with? (It takes two people to be in any relationship, and you are one of those two people!)

7) How responsible are you for the groups/companies/cities/states you lead? Are you taking full responsibility for both the successes and the failures of the groups you serve?

How responsible are you for the words you speak?

9) How responsible are you for your own biases, beliefs and values and how they impact your decisions? Are you even aware of how your biases, beliefs and values impact your decisions?

10) How responsible are you for the legacy you are leaving to the world?

I just have to weigh in on the Sarah Palin story that broke yesterday about her daughter (her 17-year old is expecting a child).

I honestly don’t believe this has anything whatsoever to do with her potential position as Vice President of our nation.  This does not mean that Palin is a bad mother nor does it say that she won’t be a fit leader.   And…Sarah Palin is a huge pro life advocate, and the decisions she and her family are making support that stance.

On the other hand, the press is going to put Palin under the microscope for the next few weeks.  Many of us (me included) don’t know a great deal about her, and there are a lot of questions in the air.  When you are running for Vice President of the US, you are next in line for our highest office and Commander in Chief, and you have to be willing to be thoroughly investigated by the press, and unfortunately, that includes your family members.

Palin seems to be strong pro life, a maverick and tough on standing up to corruption and the bullies of the world.  The big fight out there is over her lack of experience, and if we are going to fight that fight, we have to do it on both sides.  I am quite frankly relieved and excited that we have two very young, bright candidates on both tickets this fall.  We need our younger leaders being groomed to lead our country.  Enough said!

I would love to hear you weigh in on this issue.

Gosh…I am now in a dilemma, as I thought I was going with Obama, but Governor Palin is a sharp cookie. The democrats are saying she’s “more of the same,” but I’m not sure about that.

I watched this presentation two times through before I posted it, and I have to say, it is one great speech by Michelle Obama. She focused on family and her personal life as a woman, wife, mother, sister and daughter. This is what America wants in a first lady.

Thank-you to Sue Publicover of Writers of the Round Table for letting the Network for Executive Women know about EDGE! A Leadership Story.  As a result, they have named the book as their current main selection.  Check out the listing here.