Yesterday I mentioned that the political conventions were upon us. Today a presidential candidate. I knew immediately when I got off the elevator on the conference level that something was up. Actually, I knew the night before when I saw a closed city street adjacent to the hotel and a lot of guys in suits wearing wired earpieces. There were several of those guys when I got off the elevator this morning and they gave me a good once over. I said “good morning” and proceeded to the room where I was meeting my client. It turns out Barack Obama would be on that floor in a few minutes to meet some supporters. And then, there he was, the man who might be President of the United States. I was 20 feet away. I nodded. I think he nodded back. I was kind of impressed. Not by the man but by the office.

I have met a few famous singers, soldiers, statesmen, and sports figures in my life. I am also pretty self-confident so I met these people as fellow humans and have never been overly impressed or intimidated. Today was a little different though. Although I have had a private tour of the White House and I know some guys who have actually worked with some Presidents, I have never been close to the President, or the person who might be President. Today, I thought of what it must take to stand up for what you believe in knowing 50% of the nation is going to question everything you do. I thought of the immense pressure facing the person in that role and I was thankful there are people who want the job. Leadership at all levels is like that. You stand up and say I am here to take action and to make things better but it doesn’t always go that way. You aren’t perfect and there are people who will not support you for any number of reasons. But you stand up anyway.

I thought of the immense stakes and pressure facing our President and I wondered why politics works so hard to create divisions in our society. With all the issues our nation must face, can’t we support the guy in charge? Of course, I know the answer is that in our free nation we have the right to support whatever, and who ever, we choose. I know warriors who have died to protect that right and I am proud to have served in the Marines protecting that right. But wouldn’t it be nice if, as a nation, we could really focus on all the good things for once; the things that make us special and make us a place people want to come to. Immigration is one of the challenges we face. What a great problem to have! Our nation is so great that people want to come here.

Companies can be like that too. Is your place of business a place where people want to work? If not, you might need to change some things. You might need to lead. Just like our next President, and all Presidents before him have done, since George Washington.

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