Is There A Leadership Crisis in America?

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Floyd Williams, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.

As we consider many of the challenges that we face in our country today, it’s easy to ask the question, “Is there a real leadership crisis in America?” J. Thomas Wren, author of the Leadership Companion believes so. The basic premise of wrens “Leadership Crisis theory” in the United States is based on what James MacGregor burns identifies as the mediocrity or irresponsibility of so many of the men and women in power. (Leadership: Burns 1978 , p .1-3). But more importantly, the leadership crisis may have originated from our society’s shallow view and interpretation of leadership. In Wren’s book, John W. Garner speaks of a childlike fantasy that many in our society have conjured up when we think of leaders. “There is an element of wanting to be rescued, of wanting a parental figure who will set all things right.” ( On Leadership, John W. Gardner, 1990). This poses the question, have we as a country failed to formulate a clear, defined standard for leadership that could help to produce more dynamic leadership? Are attributes such as morality, values and integrity still on people’s minds when they think of qualified leadership. Do we expect too much from leaders and surrender to much of our allegiance to them to soon? I certainly don’t have the answers to many of these questions, but believe that as a country, we must collectively begin to tackle them in order to experience better leadership in America.

My opinion about Wrens Leadership Crisis viewpoint

It is my opinion that there is more than enough evidence to substantiate Wrens position that there is a leadership crisis in America. I agree that we lack standards for assessing and endorsing those who we position to be our leaders and who we pledge to follow. We, as a society, many times elevate leaders based on poorly chosen criteria that often serve to over shadow the flaws that surfaces much too late. For this reason, I would agree that the leadership crisis is not just corrupt leaders, and a degeneration of values and mediocrity, but it is also intellectual in nature. As James MacGregor Burns says. “There is no school of leadership, intellectual or practical”. (wren Pg.) It is my opinion that the leadership crisis developed because we, as a society, have digressed in our ability practice integrity, when attempting to quantify, and identify a universal set of standards for evaluating and electing excellent leadership.

Floyd Williams, Founder of, Leadershippartnergroup.com

Wren, J.T. (1995) Leader’s companion, insights on leadership through the ages. New York, Free Press