I read in the WSJ that Ms. Lois Lerner, the IRS official who led the unit at the center of the investigation over unfair targeting of conservative organizations seeking non-profit status, is on administrative leave. Ms. Lerner is criticized for not reporting this practice to the House Oversight Committee. She has pleaded her Fifth Amendment Rights in testimony
before the committee. I wonder why she would make an opening statement that she has done nothing wrong and then plead the Fifth so as not to incriminate herself. Something does not make sense to me. I guess she is afraid that she may incriminate herself in a crime that she is not aware she committed. Seems strange to me.
It may just be a case of loyalty, or misguided loyalty. Leaders have a certain loyalty to their employees (with in the IRS) and expect them to be loyal to them and to the organization (IRS). Ms. Lerner might feel that the Republicans are unfairly treating the Democratic Party, with a political agenda unrelated to justice (http:clicktotweet.com/Akg2n). She certainly has loyalty to the President. However, there are other loyalties at play here. What about loyalty to the constitution? What about loyalty to the American people? Loyalty can be a good value, but it can also be improper, for example, when someone puts loyalty to family or race above all other loyalties. I guess we have to see how this case plays out.
I wrote about loyalty in my e-book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two, available at http://smashwords.com/b/300090.
before the committee. I wonder why she would make an opening statement that she has done nothing wrong and then plead the Fifth so as not to incriminate herself. Something does not make sense to me. I guess she is afraid that she may incriminate herself in a crime that she is not aware she committed. Seems strange to me.
It may just be a case of loyalty, or misguided loyalty. Leaders have a certain loyalty to their employees (with in the IRS) and expect them to be loyal to them and to the organization (IRS). Ms. Lerner might feel that the Republicans are unfairly treating the Democratic Party, with a political agenda unrelated to justice (http:clicktotweet.com/Akg2n). She certainly has loyalty to the President. However, there are other loyalties at play here. What about loyalty to the constitution? What about loyalty to the American people? Loyalty can be a good value, but it can also be improper, for example, when someone puts loyalty to family or race above all other loyalties. I guess we have to see how this case plays out.
I wrote about loyalty in my e-book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two, available at http://smashwords.com/b/300090.
RSS Feed