“The
buck stops here.”
President
Harry Truman kept a sign on his desk in the oval office with that phrase on it,
to indicate that he was ultimately responsible for making decisions that
affected the country. He recognized that
he couldn’t pass the responsibility off to others, to deflect the blame, etc.,
because at the end of the day, he was the decision-maker, right, wrong or
indifferent.
I
love the accountability expressed in those words … basically, “look no further
because it’s on me.” I have to say, in
my professional career I’ve seen far less accountability exhibited by those who
otherwise desired the status and position of leadership. It’s unfortunate, too, because those
individuals can oftentimes otherwise have all the chops to be great. When you do see that level of responsibility,
it’s a beautiful thing.
This
week, as I read through Numbers 29 – 35, Psalms 146 – 150, and 1 – 2, 2 Kings
20 – 25, and 1 Chronicles 1, one such example shone through. It’s in 2 Kings 22, in verses 8 – 13. In this passage, we read about King Josiah of
Judah, the southernmost of the two divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Unlike most of the kings of Judah, and all of
the historical kings of Israel, Josiah is said to have done “what was pleasing
in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was
right.” In those days, that meant
stopping the worship of false gods and idols.
Josiah did that and so much more, but it came first from a recognition
of a travesty, taking culpability for it, and remedying the wrong. We read …
Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the court
secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the Lord’s Temple!” Then
Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it. Shaphan went to the king and reported, “Your
officials have turned over the money collected at the Temple of the Lord to the
workers and supervisors at the Temple.”
Shaphan also told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.”
So Shaphan read it to the king. When the
king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in
despair. Then he gave these orders to
Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the
court secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal adviser: “Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for
me and for the people and for all Judah. Inquire about the words written in
this scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger is burning against
us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words in this scroll. We have not
been doing everything it says we must do.”
I
love how Josiah took ownership of the situation. It says he first “tore his clothes in
despair,” demonstrating the character of someone who took personal
responsibility for the situation. What’s
probably more important, the response he exhibited was on the basis of having
God’s word revealed to him. He noted
that there was a morality gap a mile wide and rather than look to the
culpability of others, he accepted culpability on himself and on the people he
was charged with leading.
That’s
the essence of leadership, noting that even when it’s not your fault, it’s your
fault. At the very moment that Josiah
recognized the depravity of the people in relation to God’s law, he reached a
crossroads. There were manifold
reactions he could have had, including blaming others, looking past the facts,
justifying that times were just different, etc.
Instead, he recognized the moral timelessness of God’s standard, and he
decided that the buck stopped with him.
As
leaders, when we decide not to do the right thing, we decide to do the wrong
thing. Josiah put a stake in the ground
and said, “we have not been doing everything it says we must do.” He realized that anything short of obedience
was disobedient. It’s that clear when
we’re leading organizations and other people, whether businesses, nonprofits,
classrooms, or our homes. We have the
primary accountability as leaders to fully align those we lead or risk moral
deterioration “like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of
dough.” (Galatians 5:9, NLT)
What’s
our stance in our companies, families, etc.?
Do we take responsibility, good or bad?
Do we crane our necks looking for whose shoulders look broad enough to
bear the weight of our blame? Do we do
our best Usain Bolt impersonation and run like crazy to get away from the
responsibility? Or, do we stand up tall
and give observers a full and complete view of where the buck stops? Do we grasp the fault firmly and take action
to remedy the situation?
Josiah
did. He stood tall and decided enough
was enough. Not only did he put his
country on his shoulders in terms of who was to be denounced, he took personal
charge of making things right. He
instituted the changes necessary to correct the immorality that plagued the
nation. He saw it through. We must also.
It’s one thing to shoulder the blame and do nothing about it. That’s hollow bravado. It’s quite another to take the blame and be
the one who casts the vision of remediation and leads the rest of the people
through to seeing it to fruition. That
is a heroic leader. A buck-stopper.
In
the end, Josiah saw change through, but unfortunately it didn’t stick due to
shortcomings of his descendants. But
that’s not the point. Change occurred in
Josiah’s time because he identified the issues, owned them and enforced the needed
change; those around him were eternally affected. We have the opportunity for the same
impact. We just need to stand up and be
accountable. The contrast to the norm
these days is enough to inspire and while it might not change and entire
organization, community or nation (although it just may), it might change a
life. That’s not insignificant.
Let’s
prayerfully ask the Lord to give us the strength and courage to stand tall and
shoulder the responsibility when we notice immorality or deviance in the
domains in which we lead. It doesn’t
matter whether it’s a big or small, commercial or personal, spiritual or
secular environment. Right is right, and
most times lasting change requires one solitary soul to stand up and stop the
buck there and then. Let’s be that
buck-stopper! Then, let’s correct the
course and finish the job. Where we see
nonconformity with God’s standard of excellence, let’s be the impetus for
transformation. God will honor it and
lives WILL be changed.
Standing
tall in the light of God’s word,
MR
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