Mayor Pete said something to the effect of, that often times the hardest thing for a leader to do is to decide the things they aren't going to do... I have always told students they are constantly making decisions, and it is the ones when you decide not to act, in which you are really acting, and your indecision is a decision to support the status quo. His view on the similar thing got me thinking also about leadership bandwidth... we can't always fight all the fights, and sometimes showing our resolve through focus can be powerful.
Then this morning came the news the Father Hesburgh passed away. Undoubtably one of the best leaders this community has seen, and one of the top in the country. His mark on Notre Dame, catholic education, South Bend and this country can be felt in many ways. The famous picture of him standing with MLK is iconic. Was he perfect? No. Did he fight every fight? No. Did he win a lot of his fights, absolutely.
It got me thinking about fights and cheerleaders. Someday I will write a blog about that... Hesburgh fought some great fights, sometimes he was a great cheerleader, and he helped build an amazing world class institution. He was though silent on certain items and Notre Dame lagged behind on some critical social issues. Does that make him not a good leader.... no it means he picked his battles. I talked recently with a former student who talked of his disappointment that ND didn't fight XYZ battle, and the comments from Pete yesterday, the news of Hesburgh's passing all made these items come together.
God Bless to a great man. He did what he could do. I never had a chance to talk to him, but I sure he knows how much he changed lives, and I hope Notre Dame continues to honor his legacy of making a difference in this world through their institution. God Bless.