Be an Undercover Boss

CBS has a hit on their hands. Their reality show Undercover Boss is doing well in the ratings and bringing a much-needed rosy glow to leadership of business. The premise is simple: the CEO goes undercover as a new employee in their own business. They try out a number of jobs and meet a lot of people along the way. These people help the CEO understand the workings of their business in a way not previously seen. Along the way, we meet people with amazing and touching stories. We see the shining good and shockingly bad. Not only do the 'untouchable' CEOs get a lesson but the employees come to see their leader as someone who really cares about them, not just a shadowy fat-cat only interested in money.

There's a lesson we could all learn from this. When you walk in someone else's shoes you get to know them in a special way. You find out who they really are, what their life is like. Our elected officials have forgotten what it's like to be an 'average' American. They haven't done an honest day's hard work in years, if ever. They lead pampered lives, feasting on the money we provide them in taxes. When you live like that, it's easy to legislate in a way that seems out of touch with America.

The 'historic' passage of Obamacare is an alarm clock; the time has come for an evaluation of the people who supposedly represent us. We have to be the undercover boss. We must do our research, get to know these people as we have never done before. The internet and social media provide for us excellent tools. We're able to see government stripped down, raw, uncensored, and dirty. Reagan's 'shining city on a hill' has become a dark and stormy palace of upper-crust elitists and we are the peasants toiling beyond its gates. Our civic duty is not to work our fingers to the bone and have our livelihood 'spread around'. Our duty is to choose the best employees for the job; the job of representing us in Washington. Don't be afraid, don't let them intimidate you. They are your employees, you are their boss. If you find good, celebrate it. If you find bad, punish it.

A business can only succeed if all the pieces are in place. Good leadership guides good employees and good employees make and sell a good product. The 2008 election proved one thing: we have been bad leaders. We chose our employees poorly and now, they're tearing our business down brick by brick. I say we evaluate their performance before the business that is America ceases to be.