Failed Leadership

One of the most important traits of a leader is integrity. It is bedrock of what a leader should stand upon and it is something that he or she can never compromise. Integrity is the understanding that honesty, sense of duty, and morality come before anything else. A leader who doesn’t understand this will not only be an ineffective leader, but most importantly they will have failed those whom they were supposed to lead.

On Jan. 5, Anthony Galluccio officially resigned his position as a state senator, albeit a little late. Instead of bowing out of office gracefully upon the eve of his conviction, Galluccio remained in office deciding his status and position was more important than the interests of the voters he represented. Home confinement, sure, no big deal. However, only days after receiving his sentence Galluccio blamed his toothpaste on a failed an alcohol test. Come on, really? This time he wasn’t so lucky; this time it’s off to Billerica.

In a letter to Senate President Therese Murray, Galluccio maintained his innocence and begged his former colleagues to support his appeal. Instead of owning up to what he did, Galluccio spun a tale not even an eight-year-old would believe. It’s one thing to have a substance abuse problem, but it’s another thing to lie about it and ask your former colleagues to get your back. By lying to the court, to the state legislature, but more importantly, to the people of Massachusetts, Galluccio has failed as a leader. By compromising his integrity he has sealed his fate as ever being able to lead effectively again. After all, a leader without integrity is no longer a leader.

But this is not an isolated incident, no not by far. Just over a year ago, Dianne Wilkerson refused to resign amid another scandal, claiming that she would do what was in the “best interest of the residents” of her district. Which we all knew to mean she would be looking out for her own best interests. And let’s not forget James Marzilli, the former Arlington Democrat who also delayed his resignation after being charged with sexually assaulting four women. Three senators in a little over one year. So who is running this place anyway?

In a recent statement, Ms. Murray said that she hopes the public can trust their individual senators. For her sake, I hope she was kidding. Trust is not something you can demand from your constituents, Ms. Murray, it is something you earn. Just because you “hope” for it from the people of Massachusetts, it won’t make it so. She even went as far to ask the people for “compassion” for Galluccio, instead of having the moral fortitude to stand up for what is right and chastise Galluccio for his despicable actions. Loyalty is one thing, but asking people to have sympathy for a man whose reckless actions seriously injured a minor is a completely different story.


As Thomas J. Watson once said, “nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.” But leadership doesn’t stop there. It is just as important to have the courage to stand up and take the blame for those under your charge. Whether it be a commander on the battlefield or a CEO in a press release, a true leader acknowledges their position and accepts responsibility for the failure of the group as a whole. If not the person in charge then who? Surely a General isn’t going to blame the nineteen-year-old radio operator for not relaying his orders fast enough. Nor would the CEO blame the junior accountant fresh out of college for the company’s misstated financial statements.


But for some reason these leadership qualities are not found among the elected majority on Beacon Hill. Where have our leaders gone? Who is going to stand up and say “enough is enough”? The people of Massachusetts deserve more from their electorate. Clearly there is a problem in the Senate, but to date nobody has come forward to address it. The people need a leader who is decisive, who makes decisions promptly and announces them in a clear, forceful manner. We should be able to depend on this leader, a leader who is unselfish and has the initiative to act. But most importantly we need a leader who will assume the responsibility for the position in which they were elected and take charge. By letting business as usual continue, the Massachusetts Senate has failed the people of the Commonwealth and has brought shame upon us all.