An amazing leadership tool widely used today in organizations is root cause analysis.
When organizational leaders experience problems of any nature, most avoid addressing mere surface symptoms. They know solutions at that level will be short term, inconsequential and ineffective.
Instead, most employ a system that drills down well past surface symptoms to discover the root cause(s) needing to be addressed. Doing so provides solutions that are consequential, effective and usually permanent.
The rewards for RCA typically include lower operating costs plus major savings in staff time. It can also open doors to innovation and continuous quality improvement — plus simply doing the right thing. (Many of us remember from “Biz School” that “doing things right” is more efficient but “doing the right things” is more effective.)
Whether the complex Ishikawa “fishbone” system or the simple “Five Whys” method is used, the outcome usually is the same, viz., what truly is the root cause of your problem.
When you apply RCA to issues in the public sector, outcomes typically can be just as effective — and revealing. I decided to apply this tool to national leaders of our two major political parties.
I learned that surface symptoms are quite similar for both Democrats and Republicans.
• Neither is risk adverse. Campaigning for political office is fraught with risk. It is commendable that both accept the challenge despite these risks.
• Both usually have demonstrated leadership skills and want to apply them to higher causes.
• Both are influenced not only by conditions but also by the ability to promote opportunity for themselves (Gary Copeland, University of Oklahoma Legislative Studies Quarterly)
• Both believe they are well matched in their proximity to the political sphere and the practical skills that would not only qualify, but also facilitate their entrance into the political arena. (Brookings Institution)
Studies have captured many other “surface symptoms.” Most tend to apply regardless of party affiliation.
It’s when you drill down to discover the root causes that motivate candidates to seek office — and especially high federal office — that major differences are found in their motivation.
Most, not all of course, Republicans track closely — and fervently support — our Founders’ consistent belief in our federal government’s 18 — only 18 -— powers specified in Article 1, Section 8 with all other powers delegated to the several states and — most importantly — “to the People!” (That’s Federalism and the 10th Amendment, of course.)
On the other hand, most Democrats — again, most but not all — are greatly focused on increased political power — some to the extent of Megalomania that others informally characterize as being “drunk with power.” My preferred term is “power obsession.”
Evidence of this obsession is “everywhere” today in the executive and legislative branches of our federal government. For example:
• Biden administration’s unscientific and unnecessary recommendation to governors to extend their state’s pandemic shutdowns — including schools — and continue to mandate masks.
• President Biden’s extraordinary number of executive orders far exceeding those of all his predecessors — including Trump, Obama and Reagan and even FDR! All others were only single digit.
• In Congress, centralized, Socialist-leaning bills are introduced by Democrats to empower our federal government well beyond its constitutional limits.
• The extraordinary shift to “open borders” which has proven to be an unconstitutional extension of political power with chaotic and costly consequences.
These are but a few among many examples within the limited space permissible here.
The comparison and contrast of obsessive power traits of Democrats with Constitutional constraints of Republicans have never been so clear (nor more frightening) than during the extended pandemic shutdown and “open borders” of the Biden administration plus its early pronounced trend toward Socialism — with seemingly total disregard of our increasing federal debt.
Is your preference for a United States led by advocates of Capitalism with 1st Amendment freedom of speech and religion within a limited constitutional government — or Socialist-leaning, mostly secular, cancel-culture, power-obsessed advocates?
John Pryor is a local management consultant.
