significance of common good to leadership
After critical and careful analysis of chapter 5, I came to realize the significance of common good to leadership. Common good originated thousands of years ago. However, as times passed by, new translations have continued to emerge-with the recent being from John Rawls. In simple terms, common good is making ideas, decisions, or plans that will benefit a community as a whole rather than just a selected few. This is totally contradicting to the utilitarian principle that demands choices to be made in regard to their consequences. One main reason why leaders seek to achieve common good leadership is to put the interest of their followers first. They aim to direct their perspectives toward other people’s welfare. At the same time, common good leadership involves disrupting the status quo in order to connect to the diverse group of team members or citizens. Remember, good ethical leaders are change agents. And you cannot bring positive change in a society without personal interaction with them. Also, you cannot be effective in bringing change without putting the majority’s interest first.
One notable example of the common good in our present society is universal medical coverage. Over the recent months, political debates have heated with universal healthcare policy taking center stage. Some top policymakers claim that the universal healthcare plan is important for every American as it provides quality healthcare services at a reduced cost. Besides, they argue that millions of Americans suffer from different illnesses simply because they can’t afford the cost of treatments.
On the other hand, those contradicting the universal healthcare coverage argue that other than its high cost, it is rigid and doesn’t have a personal choice of treatment. Therefore, much financial allocation should be concentrated on strengthening communities by addressing social issues that underpin America’s health gap, such as homelessness, food security, and poverty.
In my opinion, I believe that a universal healthcare plan is good. However, much attention should be given on societal factors that are contributing to the diminishing health of all Americans. Therefore, issues such as homelessness, food security, and nutrition, among others, should be given priority as they will lead to a reduced likelihood of people getting sick, hence acting for the common good. Remember, prevention is better than cure.