Cowboy Up: The Leadership Crisis No One’s Talking About

I heard a fascinating conversation recently between a sports journalist and a college professor. It was on a podcast called The Josh Hendrickson Show, hosted by Neal McCready and featuring the show’s namesake, who is Chair of the Economics Department at the University of Mississippi. The conversation was about leadership—particularly the role of the leader in today’s society.

They started off by lamenting that common sense isn’t so common anymore. Josh tied the decline of common sense to the rise in bureaucracy. He suggested there might be a chicken-and-egg relationship: Is our ability to think for ourselves stifled by all the red tape? We need a permit for this, committee approval for that—so what’s the use in trusting our own judgment?

Or has the bureaucracy ballooned because so many people have stopped using common sense? In other words, do we have to micromanage the masses because they can’t be trusted to make sound decisions? Is it “safer” to make everyone get permission first?

Josh also made a great point about how common sense isn’t innate—it’s the informal wisdom we gain through life, mostly by interacting with other people. Think about all the little proverbs your grandma used to say. That’s common sense being passed down through human connection. Too bad we seem to be drifting more and more toward a cyber reality and away from the kind of in-person interactions where that natural handing-down of wisdom actually takes place.

But I digress.

The bigger idea they landed on—and where I want to spend some time today—is the role of leadership in our modern world, and the value real leadership can bring to all of us.

They argued that in organizations prone to bureaucracy—like government agencies and big corporations—leadership has, in many cases, devolved into box-checking and consensus-seeking. Instead of actually leading, many “leaders” function more like senior bureaucrats—managing process instead of people, and consensus instead of conviction.

Here’s the truth: the reason we have leaders is because we need somebody to lead us. John Maxwell says, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” Real leaders make decisions. They make the tough calls. They sometimes… let’s say aggravate… people in the course of being responsible and getting the job done, to paraphrase Colin Powell. The old proverbial buck stops with them. They are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of their team, their company, their nation.

Too many leaders today, especially in government and big corporations, shy away from this kind of leadership. Rather than bold, decisive trailblazers willing to stand for something, we get timid fence-sitters—leaders in title only—constantly checking which way the political wind is blowing before they make a move.

Now, does this mean leaders should be tyrannical, steamrolling others to serve their own selfish agenda? Of course not.

But on the other hand, who wants to follow someone who doesn’t know where they’re going and constantly polls the room for direction?

The best—and dare I say most effective?—leaders are paradoxes. They have a clear vision for what they want to accomplish and the drive to get it done. But they also have the people skills to get others on board. They know when to listen and when to act. They understand how to collaborate, but they’re not afraid to take the reins.

The kind of leader I’m describing isn’t a ruthless overlord—or a people-pleasing pushover. They’re something rarer: someone with backbone and emotional intelligence.

We don’t need leaders who are experts in gaining consensus. We can do that with a skilled facilitator or a vote. No, we need leaders who actually lead—with courage, conviction, and a willingness to do the right thing, even when it comes at a cost.

Again, this doesn’t mean leaders should ignore feedback or dismiss concerns. Of course they should listen. They should seek input and give fair consideration when possible. But at the end of the day, the responsibility for the decision doesn’t lie with the group—it lies with the leader. And that means stepping up and exerting your will when it’s called for.

Reluctance to do so doesn’t just make a leader ineffective—it makes them lose credibility in the eyes of their team.

Josh then made a statement that hit me hard. He said,

“But you [the leader] have to make those decisions… You cannot govern by consensus. And we as a society have just become… a society where… nobody is in charge. I mean, there are titles. There are people who are officially in charge, but nobody's in charge. And… that's how things fall apart because that's the whole point of the leader.”

I think that’s the whole thing in a nutshell right there.

We need leaders to step up and actually be in charge. Lead with care and concern for your team members, sure. Listen to them. Leverage their strengths. Use their ideas. Give them autonomy to do things their way.

But lead them.

Give them clear direction. Make the hard decisions. Cowboy up and take responsibility.

And let the buck stop where it was always supposed to—with you.

🧭 Practical Takeaways: What This Means for Today’s Leaders

If you’re responsible for leading anyone—whether it's a project team, a division, or an entire organization—consider this a personal challenge:

• Stop waiting for consensus when the decision is yours to make. Listening is important. But leading means you decide.

• Don’t hide behind process. Rules and forms can protect you—but they won’t inspire or move anyone.

• Embrace responsibility. The final say (and the final consequence) is yours. Own it.

• Lead with empathy, but also with courage. People want a leader they can trust. And trust is built through clarity, consistency, and conviction.

Leadership isn't a popularity contest. It's a service—and a responsibility.

So cowboy up. The people you're leading are counting on you.