This week a major political candidate dropped out of the race because of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. I don’t know the man, and we can’t know right now if the allegations are truthful. But whatever the case, it derailed his political dreams. Whatever you think of this or other candidates, there’s two very obvious lessons here:
1. Are you ready when critics attack? In this case, his team wasn’t ready for the attacks. They appeared to be caught off guard, and it eventually ended his political ambitions. Right or wrong, in today’s culture, if you want to make an impact, you will eventually be attacked. Get ready. You or someone on your team will make mistakes and sometimes they’ll be serious. Financial, sexual, relationship or other mistakes take a toll, so you need to be ready with an answer. Work out a strategy now so that when it happens, you’re not caught off guard.
2. You can’t hide your past. I don’t know if these allegations were correct, but if they were, he should have been the first to broach the subject. I advise all politicians, CEO’s, and pastors that if they have anything negative in their past, get it out first. In a digital world, you can’t hide your past, and once you put it on the table yourself, it disarms the critics.
Be ready. Criticism and sometimes outright attacks will happen – whether you’re in the right or wrong. And second, stop hiding. In the 21st century, we need to live more transparent lives than ever…
