Transcript
Speaker: Hello and welcome to Pod for the People.
Speaker: I'm your host, Dr. Tammy Gouveia.
Speaker: Each week I invite everyday Americans, community activists, and status quo disruptors to share stories about the power of connection and finding the courage to heal our political divisions.
Speaker: Hello, and welcome to issue one of Doctor's Orders on Pod for the People.
Speaker: In this issue, I talk about raising the bar and the qualities we deserve but don't always get from our elected officials.
Speaker: On Sunday, I rang in the optimism that comes with a new year by thanking and celebrating with more than 60 campaign friends and supporters.
Speaker: It was a wonderful way to express my gratitude for all that I learned in 2022.
Speaker: especially as I wrap up a busy election year and wind down my time serving in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Speaker: While snacking on waffles, ice cream, and hot cocoa with my guests, I shared some reflections on what this year has meant to me and my hopes for our work together.
Speaker: I spent the vast majority of 2022 crisscrossing the state as I campaigned to become Massachusetts' next lieutenant governor.
Speaker: While we didn't win the primary election, I am incredibly proud of my team and the values-based, people-centered campaign we ran and the 141,000 plus voters who believed in me and my commitment to putting people, especially the most marginalized among us, first.
Speaker: I put my heart and soul into my campaign and openly shared my own personal and financial struggles to build genuine connections with people across the state.
Speaker: I invited residents to share their frustrations and fears, as well as their hopes and dreams for the kind of future we can build together.
Speaker: I am truly honored that so many people trusted me with their deeply personal stories,
Speaker: And I am grateful for what these interactions taught me about the power of grit and love and our shared humanity.
Speaker: These were the most meaningful moments I experienced as a candidate for statewide office.
Speaker: I will forever be grateful for having the opportunity to build and deepen relationships with so many across the state.
Speaker: And I hope to keep getting invited to community events, cultural festivals, radio and TV shows, and family barbecues.
Speaker: Today is Inauguration Day in Massachusetts, an especially exciting day for anyone who will be sworn into elected office for the first time.
Speaker: I wish all state-level elected officials and new members of the Massachusetts General Court the best of luck in their new roles.
Speaker: It takes courage to run for office, and hard work, and sometimes luck, to win.
Speaker: But getting elected to office or rising to a position of power in a hall of government or other organization does not automatically mean that one is a leader.
Speaker: True leaders, whether a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a team lead at a small nonprofit organization, or the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, create the conditions for others to succeed.
Speaker: True leaders also encourage every person to contribute to the overall success of their organization and its broad public mission.
Speaker: Unfortunately, far too often in American and Massachusetts politics, people with positional power are assumed to be leaders.
Speaker: even if they withhold information, shirk accountability, fail to invest in the conditions for success, and manipulate colleagues and the public's trust.
Speaker: To fulfill the promise of our democracy and live up to our fullest potential as a state and as a nation, we must set a higher bar for the qualities we expect leaders in our state and country to embody.
Speaker: Throughout my life, I have come to appreciate the similarities between the qualities that make someone a good friend and the qualities that make someone a good leader.
Speaker: The top ones for me are trustworthiness, empathy, vulnerability, honesty, and inclusivity.
Speaker: I have a more comprehensive list of qualities that make someone a good friend and a good leader.
Speaker: These include integrity, honesty, commitment, good listening skills, mutually supportive, dependable,
Speaker: loyal, nonjudgmental, is confident and instills confidence in others, courage to do what is right, healthy boundaries, able to engage in constructive and helpful conflict, and of course, can laugh at oneself and has a sense of humor.
Speaker: My wish for 2023 and beyond is that every person elected to serve the public embodies the qualities that are essential to friendship.
Speaker: And my hope starting now is that you will help hold them accountable to these qualities and values.
Speaker: To health, connection, and friendship in 2023, Happy New Year.
Speaker: Thank you for listening to Pod for the People, where we share everyday stories about health, dignity, and opportunity for our collective well-being.
Speaker: To learn more about how you can be part of a thriving community, building a future of opportunity for everyone, please follow me and check me out at TammyGovea.com.
Speaker: Also subscribe to this podcast, as well as Doctor's Orders, my latest newsletter at TammyGovea.substack.com.
Speaker: Have a great day.
Speaker: Until next time.
