The Fallacy of Compromise

 The Fallacy of Compromise 

Being a Canadian, I know something about the art of compromise. We are the nation that invented the word ‘sorry’ and we walk around every day trying not to offend anyone and to ensure that we always meet others at least halfway in a disagreement. 

To be sure, compromise speeds up the resolution of disputes. When there is a union negotiation of wages, meeting halfway between union demands and company hopes, the midpoint is a common landing spot. 

When there is a discussion about dinner there may be one party who wants French cuisine while another wants Italian. They may compromise on Mexican...no harm done. 

Or maybe it’s a vacation destination. One wants Europe; the other wants South America. They compromise on the Caribbean Riviera. 

All these examples of compromise demonstrate that none of the parties achieved the goal that they set at the beginning. But the result was satisfying enough that an agreement was reached. And nothing was really lost in the process.  

A good compromise means everyone has equal measures of satisfaction and disappointment. 

However, outside of these types of compromise, there is an unsettling reality that is eating away at the fabric of our society. I refer specifically to the compromise of truth. 

Comedienne, Lily Tomlin once opined ‘...what’s truth; it’s nothing more than a collective hunch...’ More and more frequently I see this attitude prevail. Truth is relative and not absolute. 

When we compromise on truth, truth always loses. Let me explain. 

Two people disagree on the colour of the sky. One says that it is blue, (which is the truth). The other says that it is white; they compromise and agree that it is light blue. Truth has been discarded for the sake of compromise and expediency. 

The next time these two discuss the colour of the sky, the starting point for the discussion is that the sky is light blue, because they changed the truth last time. The sky is still blue, but the truth has been altered. Where do you think that this compromise is headed? Further away from the truth... 

It does not take too many meetings before they are not arguing about the colour of the sky. They have moved on to whether it is day or night. 

This erosion of truth is easy; it is subtle and; and it is destructive. 

It starts with denying, ‘...the sky is not blue...’ 

It leads to deception ‘...the sky is white, but let’s agree that it is light blue...’ 

It ends with defamation ‘...it is night, not day...that is the moon not the sun...’ 

The truth can be compromised simply by acceding to the lie. As soon as you give it oxygen, a lie will grow. 

We must become a society that regains truth; a society that rejects compromise for the sake of ‘unity’. 

Never be afraid to stand on truth, it is the foundation upon which you cannot be shaken! When in doubt, do the next right thing! 

There is not a void in leadership...there's a void of leadership!

 

We often think that there is a void in leadership.  That is not true. These positions are always filled quickly because it is human nature to look for leaders in our lives.  Whether that is in our employment, in our worship, in our activities, and even in our families.  The truth of the matter is that the majority of people are not comfortable existing in a situation in which they cannot look to others to find guidance, comfort or whatever form of 'leadership' that they need in their lives.

Were this not true, social media would be devoid of 'influencers'. Tik Tok would not exist if the majority were not looking for advice.  In my experience, more people ascribe positive characteristics to others before they ascribe them to themselves...hence the desire to look around for those role models. 

When we consider the workplace, these same trends or tendencies hold true. Executives are usually quick to fill vacancies.  But they are often slow to properly evaluate the competencies of the individuals that they place.  As often as not, they appoint someone who will not threaten their position, who will do as they are told, and who will do those things in a manner that raises the executive profile.  What the individual lacks in character or competency is overlooked for what they bring in terms of loyalty or allegiance.

This is the void of leadership to which I refer.  Today it seems especially true in politics, but it is actually evident wherever you look.  Those in positions of authority are simply unwilling or unable to build competent teams because they themselves are unable to lead.  T

here are two potential responses.

The first is that someone on the team will rise to fill the gap.  That doesn't mean that they become the leader. Rather it means that they become recognized by the others as the leader.  There can be positive or negative consequences from this recognition, but the team will fill that void.

The other response is that the best of the team leaves.  Rather than suffer fools, they will seek out opportunities to find that leader that fulfills the role properly...with authenticy, character and competency.

Where do you have leaders but a void of leadership?  In a complex world that sometimes feels like it is spinning out of control, look for authentic leadership grounded on the principles of character, chemistry and competency.  There you will generally find the foundation that you can build on and carry on!