A leader steps up in times of crisis, and is able to think and act creatively in difficult situations. Looking back in our brief history as Inuit, this is how the leaders, the alpha male and alpha female held the small hunting party together.
I believe this is inherent and there are a handful of ‘potentially good leaders’ in our area.
Leadership includes a clear vision, sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly, giving that information, knowledge and ways to help people understand and realize that vision, and ensuring coordination and balance with the conflicting interests of all members and stakeholders. That is some mouthful but when you stop to think about it, the leader is acting in servitude of those in his trust and care.
I think we’ve all seen this unfold when it comes to elections, whether on a municipal or territorial level. Someone will stand up and emphasize how they wish to represent you and at the start they mean well and are showing the effort and then, a short time later, things begin to change and actually fall apart.
It is so sad to see a well-to-do individual’s vision and approach change while he is in office from a collective attitude to a selfish self-centred way of doing business. All the while we as constituents thought that our concerns and needs were being properly addressed and acted on. As the nature of business unfolds, this individual begins to see loopholes and is able to wiggle in with self-interest rather than the immediate needs of the people. This goes with the municipal scene and is becoming more prevalent today.
Right across the board, we see the need for social assistance in family matters. Mental health is now an open issue with no real concrete solutions in sight, and there are many who are homeless or are over-crowded, with all the social woes and implications of this situation.
Some people think that if you are elected to office, you could make a difference, when in my view a strong voice could help in changing the direction of how the community is run both locally and from the legislative assembly.
A word of encouragement to those thinking about being a representative: do so with an attitude of gratitude to those expressing confidence in you and your abilities and when you do attain an office of public service, keep in mind that’s what it is – public service.