by Mike Smith There was a philosophy instilled in me when I was training to become a Navy SEAL. Instructors would constantly bellow, “It pays to be a winner!” Although this philosophy was mostly associated with various physical exercises, the underlying meaning had real purpose: that losing could have serious consequences, it could even mean death, especially in combat.
In business and politics, there was once a similar philosophy: Work hard, be honest, persevere and you will succeed. In this context the “it pays to be a winner” philosophy was an uplifting message, meaning that striving for success would be rewarded.
Nowadays, however, this philosophy has morphed into a something different, even sinister: The belief that in order to win you must win at all costs, including manipulating the truth and tearing down others because they are between you and your objective. This is especially true as we find ourselves in the throes of a very competitive political campaign season.
We have come to a point where laws, loyalties and basic standards of conduct are eroding faster than we’re able to defend them. The boundaries of decency are fading. Obtaining the objective is far more important than how you get there. But is this the standard we want to set for our business dealings and political discourse? Do we want leaders willing to engage in deceitful and deceptive practices without trepidation or remorse?
It is this philosophy that set us on a path to an economic train wreck leading up to the Great Recession of 2008. Financial leaders looked out for themselves, more than they looked out for their investors and their customers and the country. Ethics and sound business practices were cast aside in favor of a destructive, greed-is-good, profit-at-all-costs approach. Those who sounded alarms were silenced, even castigated. Many stood idly by in hopes of walking away with their share of the haul.
When the collapse occurred, those with money and power were protected. They made sure of that. It was everyday Americans who were harmed: lost homes, lost jobs and lost investments. These Americans were the collateral damage of the recession. It’s no surprise they haven’t forgiven business leaders, particularly financial leaders, for their economic situation.
Many politicians are guilty of embracing this approach as well — and so too are their advisers. Politics is no longer primarily a debate of issues, ideas and philosophies. It has, in most cases, become an advertising messaging war, where the complete destruction of your political opponent, by any means available, is the top priority. Winning, regardless of the standard it sets and the example it provides, is paramount.
We see this nationally — we like to call it Washington-style politics — but it’s alive and well even here in Vermont.
Given the tone and philosophy that has been set by many of our leaders, it comes as no surprise that Americans are fed up with the economic and political systems. In what can only be described as a paradox, there is a disconnect between what many families teach their children as proper values and what they see in their leaders. Yet there’s ample evidence to suggest that voters are more likely to vote for the candidates who “go negative” than for those who take the high road.
Our business and political leaders have forgotten what many families try to instill in their children: Treat people the way you would want to be treated. But perhaps out of the ashes of the 2016 political campaigns, common decency and core American values will prevail.
In the book “Lone Survivor,” a SEAL squad is faced with a life-or-death decision: With hundreds of enemy fighters a few miles away and having detained three goat herders who stumbled upon their position — an old man, a teenager and a child — they decided to let them go instead of killing them, with the realization that letting them go would alert the enemy. The discussion leading up to the decision is insightful. It centered on the morality of killing non-combatants. In the end, the SEALs decided that American values needed to be protected, even if it put their own lives in danger. Winning is important, but winning at all costs is not, because it erodes the very essence of who we are as a nation. Three out of the four members of that SEAL squad, as well as others sent to rescue them, were killed in the fierce fight that followed.
In the tragic results of this life-or-death decision there is a lesson. Americans know that there are boundaries. It’s time for business and political leaders to follow this example.
Mike Smith was secretary of administration and secretary of human services under former Gov. Jim Douglas. He is the host of the radio program, “Open Mike with Mike Smith,” on WDEV 550 AM and 96.1, 96.5 and 101.9 FM. He is also a political analyst for WCAX-TV and WVMT radio and is a regular contributor to the Times Argus, Rutland Herald and Vermont Business Magazine.