Almost all Western movies have one common shot at the end: a gunslinger riding into the sunset! This is to cap the story and showcase that whatever actions, achievements and results were possible – were indeed accomplished. As a matter of fact, this signals an end of one chapter and the beginning of another – allowing a generation to handover the baton to another.
Casting a quick eye on the landscape in the Land of the Pure, one would think that not only no one has ever heard of a Western but also no one quite understands the necessity to ride into the sunset! Unfortunately, this malaise is not limited to a particular domain or social strata but is rampant across the board.
Whether culturally, habitually or personally – there seems to be a natural tendency for us to not let go
What ills does it generate? A plenty! Along with ample examples! Consider. Under the US constitution, the president can avail only 2 four-year terms in office. There is a reason for this! The expectation – nay, the explicit ask – is that a maximum of 8 years in the Oval Office is sufficient for any person to implement policies, take the country forward as much as possible and execute the objectives of his or her vision. The end must come and a new generation of talent given the opportunity to occupy the White House. Even when Bill Clinton was being threatened with impeachment at the bottom end of his second term – his poll ratings were so high that commentators said that if he was allowed to run for the third time, he would be successful again. Was there a clamour to change laws to make this possible? Was there any noise from within the administration that Clinton is the only way of keeping the economic revival going? Did the president hint that he was indispensable? No! Because everyone understood the necessity of riding into the sunset, the need to hang up one’s boots and give the chance to another, the logic of inducing fresh blood and fresh ideas into the system, the acknowledgement that not doing so creates resentment in the hierarchy especially if a natural order of surrendering the leadership is not followed.
Generally, people who tend not to ride into the sunset are the ones who are looking for a second innings to their career all over again!
In complete contrast, here none want to give up the hot seat and the perks and privileges that come with it! Extension is the key word used everywhere. Politicians, governments, armed forces personnel, bureaucrats and many others seek extension to their tenure just in the hope of clinging to any bit of power, by hook or by crook! This is done for the foremost reason that we – and the system – think of people only in terms of the power they wield. Seems like someone being a good person is just isn’t good enough for us! This notion of hanging to clout at all costs creates four major problems. One, the person in charge starts to believe his or her own myth! Afterall if the whole world – mostly loaded with sycophants – is singing your praises, why wouldn’t you think of yourself as a legend! This provides a false sense of indispensability, which is detrimental not only to the individual but also to the people at large. In ancient Rome – when generals and Caesars would return from successful conquests, there would be lavish celebrations, parties in the streets and poets regaling the conquerors. An Auriga – one of the slaves chauffeuring the chariot – would hold a laurel crown and stand behind the victor and continuously whisper in his ears, “Memento Mori” – “remember you are mortal”. This was to ensure that the celebrated commander would not start believing his own immortality and would not lose his sense of proportion in the excesses of celebrations.
Afterall if the whole world – mostly loaded with sycophants – is singing your praises, why wouldn’t you think of yourself as a legend!
Two, growing bitterness in the ranks within. Ultimately if seniors within any facet of life don’t retire and move on, the newer generation of leaders feel their ambitions threatened. This is a normal reaction to a promotional ladder that is brutally stuck in its place! Severe knock-on impacts include a dip in morale, underperforming individuals, higher attrition rate, exit of experience and loss of much needed competence. All this means more misery for a wretched population!
Three, lack of new ideas to counter new challenges. Dinosaurs in any domain are a dangerous entity! They are comfortable in their positions, tend not to think overtly, go by older wisdom, and do not entertain new ideas. Hence, they are an ill-fit to the demands of the new age. If they don’t hang their hats, what chances are there for fresh blood to be inculcated and to be ready for the challenges of the future? Absolutely, none!
The expectation – nay, the explicit ask – is that a maximum of 8 years in the Oval Office is sufficient for any person to implement policies, take the country forward as much as possible and execute the objectives of his or her vision
Four, ignoring the age-old paradigm of horses for courses. Generally, people who tend not to ride into the sunset are the ones who are looking for a second innings to their career all over again! This means they would be taking on an assignment for which they don’t have any previous training, expertise, or experience. Staying with the adage that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, one can certainly extrapolate that more often than not such people would be a misfit for their second innings and will cause more harm than good to the prospects and aspirations of the role and organisation in question.
Whether culturally, habitually or personally – there seems to be a natural tendency for us to not let go. Perhaps it is also due to a dearth of other opportunities needed for sustenance. But in any case, this notion of avoiding riding into the sunset is causing us more grief than we deserve. The powers to be should take note to ensure that the old give way to the new!
