Recently, I wrote a series of blogs about leadership traits including justice, integrity, unselfishness, and courage.
On September 10, 2025, a deranged individual assassinated Charlie Kirk leaving behind a widow, children without a father, parents without a son, and creating untold grief and agony amongst family members, friends, associates, and others.
Since then, we have seen countless memorials erected in his honor, moments of silence at sporting events, and large-scale gatherings to celebrate Charlie Kirks life.
At the same time, we have seen individuals who refer to themselves as leaders celebrating Charlie Kirks death. This includes people in emergency services, the military, health care, the political arena, and others. This is profoundly disturbing. Especially coming from people who serve in careers where they allegedly protect and serve the citizens.
I am writing this on September 17th and in today’s daily news feed from Fire Engineering magazine, there is an article about a fire chief in a large American city who was placed on paid administrative leave for an incendiary post on social media revolving around Charlie Kirks death.
The late Alan Brunacini, who was the long-time fire chief of Phoenix, Arizona, and friend and mentor of the fire service often talked about taking care of Mrs. Smith. You cannot take care of Mrs. Smith while celebrating the murder of a citizen. Those two ideals cannot ride in the same car.
Taking care of Mrs. Smith and other citizens is part of character-based leadership. Celebrating the murder of anyone is a gross lack of character. It is an absence of integrity, a mocking of justice, and a display of cowardice. It is also the sign of a twisted individual who cares little for the sanctity of life. People such as this are not leaders. They are mere figureheads in a position of authority.
If you think for one minute that a figurehead who celebrates the murder of a citizen cares for the people in the organization or the citizens that they are sworn to serve and protect, then you are nuts.
Has character-based leadership become a thing of the past? I certainly hope and pray that it has not. But if so, this nation and our world are in deep doo-doo.
