If you're an elected leader, THANK YOU!
January marks the start of many terms of elected office: legislatures, town and city councils, school boards and the like. It's a fitting time to pause and honor these people who are "putting themselves out there" to serve the rest of us.
If you are a new leader, this video (ABOVE) from the Maine Municipal Association
is a great resource. Hosted by veteran elected leader Jill Duson. Thank you Jill!
I like to think of elected leaders not as power grabbers but rather as public servants. Serving in any elected office is a hard job. You get criticized from all sides, by design, and the work is woefully uncompensated. It's a labor of love. Elected leaders are almost always driven by their desire to make their communities better rather than their desire to feather their own nest, a criticism they are constantly defending against.
You may not agree with your elected leader but you know what, at least that person is "in the ring," taking hits, and publicly fighting for a better future. If YOU are an elected leader, thank you. 🙏🏼 🙏🏼 🙏🏼