It has already been a month and a half since the ninth round of directly elected local governments took office following the June 3 local elections.
For mayors and district mayors whose days fly by, the rest of their terms will pass just as quickly.
Weeks blur into weekends before you know it, and the final day of the ninth term is closer than it may seem.
That is precisely why elected local leaders — Seoul's mayor, district mayors and others — must constantly ask themselves how they will be remembered when their terms end.
Elected officials are judged at the ballot box, but that is not the whole story. The position demands accountability not only during a term but long after it ends — from staff, residents and the broader public alike.
The first virtue a leader must possess is trust.
All governance begins with trust. Leaders must conduct themselves without a trace of shame, mindful that thousands of employees are watching their every word and action.
A city mayor, county chief or district mayor is, in effect, a "small president" within their jurisdiction — wielding sweeping authority over personnel decisions, major projects and budget priorities.
That concentration of power makes it difficult for staff to speak frankly to their superiors during a term. The fear of falling out of favor — and facing career setbacks or a difficult work environment as a result — keeps many silent.
As a result, leaders tend to be surrounded by people who tell them only what they want to hear. There is a running joke that civil servants' talent for flattering their superiors is practically "Nobel Prize-worthy."
Leaders must not be lulled by that atmosphere into believing they are doing everything right. The moment they do, they risk stepping onto the path toward failure.
Misconduct or wrongdoing concealed during a term has a way of surfacing once it ends.
When a leader leaves office, former subordinates are subordinates no longer. Accounts of improper conduct witnessed during the term can spread both inside and outside the organization, and this pattern has repeated itself in numerous cases. Power may suppress the truth for a time, but it cannot hide it forever.
The second virtue is humility.
A leader who lacks humility will rarely succeed, and local government chiefs are no exception.
Maintaining humility throughout a term, while holding such sweeping authority, is far harder than it sounds. The moment a leader believes they can do everything alone and begins driving the organization unilaterally, humility tends to vanish.
Leaders must never lose sight of their position. The public has entrusted them with authority for a fixed period — that power is not theirs to keep.
The consequences awaiting a leader who leaves office without having earned a reputation for humble leadership will not be light.
The third virtue is communication.
Built on a foundation of trust and humility, leaders must communicate constantly with staff and residents. No matter how urgent or worthy a campaign pledge may be, it cannot be realized without the dedication and hard work of the people who carry it out.
In the end, it is the staff who do the actual work on the ground. Leaders must listen openly and communicate in a way that gives employees a sense of pride and responsibility.
These are virtues every elected leader should take to heart — whether finishing a third term or just beginning a first.
Practicing them is not easy, of course. Power intoxicates, and human ambition knows no bounds.
Still, the three virtues of trust, humility and communication must remain fixed in every leader's mind as they go about their work.
What matters more than the applause at an inauguration is the verdict delivered when the term is over.
Every local leader should start thinking now about four years from now — and keep asking themselves whether, on the day they leave office, the staff and residents they served will say they were truly a good leader.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
