‘Leaders who are worth following have the courage to own their failures, to show their vulnerability and acknowledge that they do not have all the answers,’ reader says
SooToday received the following Letter to the Editor from reader Martin Wyant, in response to the recent layoff announcement at Algoma Steel:
The massive layoffs at Algoma Steel have led to significant national and regional media attention. Many commentators (in the media and online) have questioned these investments and cast blame on the federal government policies (current and former) and U.S. tariff policies.
I, for one, am happy that we have received taxpayer support from senior levels of government to support a strategic Canadian industry that is in my hometown.
While I agree using social media for rage-blaming is not useful, it is also fair and reasonable to hold our leaders to account for decisions they have made, or not made, that have contributed to our current circumstances.
The economic crises that we have experienced since the 1980s have not led us to successfully diversify our local economy so that we are less dependent on a single industry and we are about to experience—again—the bitter results.
While it’s nice to hear that some will “stand with us” and others will “include us in their thoughts and prayers,” these platitudes do not put food on our community table. Similarly, we do not need to see messages that are thinly guised efforts to gain future political support.
Leaders who are worth following have the courage to own their failures, to show their vulnerability and acknowledge that they do not have all the answers.
It takes humility to ask for help, particularly from those you might consider to be rivals, when you do not have all the answers. We all stand ready to help. I hope our leaders invite us to meaningfully contribute.
Martin Wyant
Sault Ste. Mare, Ont.