Leave Grudges Behind - How to Start the New Year with a Clean Slate
We are ushering in a new year, fresh with possibilities. Around the world, leaders are changing hands, for better or for worse. With change, also comes uncertainty and sometimes the revival of old wounds or long standing grudges.
As U.S. President, Joe Biden, despite all his known faults, prepares to leave office, it's safe to say that he was clearly a different kind of leader than his predecessor. Specifically in terms of the civility he brought to the job. Despite myriad crises and so much acrimony, Biden continues to speak of healing and somehow manages to remain positive. That's possibly despite, or perhaps because of, the great personal tragedies he has endured.
It's also possible that a remarkably long political career, rather than making him cynical, has seasoned and humbled him, allowing him to let go of grudges and reach across party lines to do what needs to be done. Someone who might otherwise have settled into a quieter life, made one last attempt to re-imagine his country as it could be.
With his predecessor set to return to office once again, history books may yet write of Biden's naivete and misplaced faith in bipartisanship. But he has done one thing that is likely to be remembered, regardless of what his legacy becomes — he has set a tone at the top that demonstrates a belief in the value of empathy and civil discourse. A tone that is likely to take a sharp turn upon his exit.
Whether in politics, business or other aspects of life, kindness, while applauded in theory, is sometimes seen as weakness in practice. In a world that often rewards power and aggression, where do warmth and decency fit in? Does it make sense to take the high road, turn the other cheek— let bygones be bygones?
Photo credit: Kostiantyn-Li
