David Brooks is a favorite around here for his ability to apply real observations about human behavior to politics and inspiring us to do better. In today’s article, “The Creative Monopoly,” Brooks discusses the trap of competitiveness standing in the way of real leadership and innovation.
Brooks writes, “You know somebody has been sucked into the competitive myopia when they start using sports or war metaphors. Sports and war are competitive enterprises. If somebody hits three home runs against you in the top of the inning, your job is to go hit four home runs in the bottom of the inning., Click here to read the entire article.
There is no doubt that politics is filled with competition and we use our own fair share of sports and war metaphors (our name is HighGround after all). However, we try to encourage our candidates not to get sucked into the “tit for tat” and instead focus on their agenda and the goals they want to accomplish.
That’s why campaign timelines and strategies are critical to keeping everyone moving in the right direction. Candidates should be spending their time and energy telling their story and sharing their vision instead of worrying about what their opponents are doing.