Will Rishi Sunak or Your Relationship Last Until Christmas?
/By Mike Engracia
Edited by Brianna Boyd
Rishi Sunak is Britain's first prime minister of color after he won the race to lead the Conservative party. Sunak, a 42-year old former finance minister, will become Britain's third prime minister in less than two months after his predecessor Liz Truss who was brought down in office in just seven weeks by her economic program which roiled the financial markets and pushed up the living cost in the UK.
You can't stop thinking about how the rise of Mr. Sunak to power and the quick succession of prime ministers relates to a relationship. Many people move on quickly from one person to the next after a breakup, just like the U.K. moved on from Liz Truss and the other prime ministers before her. The romance is short-lived many times, just like the belief of the U.K. that they have a competent leader leading them.
How long does it take to know if a leader can lead well? How long does it take to fall in love? Do you need to get to know someone for weeks or months at a time? Are there certain characteristics, virtues, and red flags to look out for in a leader just as you look for those things in a partner? What exactly makes a relationship last and how does that compare to what it takes for a leader to sustain his power?
You might be thinking this is an odd comparison, however the similarities between what we seek in a relationship to make it last are very similar to what we seek from our leaders for their leadership to last. Which do you think will last until Christmas? Your relationship? Or Mr. Sunak’s reign as prime minister? Or both? There are many variables that come into play that will allow us to know which will be short-lived and which will be here for the long-hull.
No two leaders are the same, nor are any two relationships. The U.K. has moved on quickly from prime ministers after displeasure with their leadership, much like one might move on quickly from person to person when they are dating because it’s not a good match. Boris Johnson self-sabotaged his own leadership. Liz Truss had problems with overspending which put the U.K. in an even worse economic position.
In terms of a relationship, many times we realize a person may not be good for us for the same reasons; maybe the person we are with constantly self-sabotages the relationship, or has poor spending habits. All of these things can be looked at as red flags, or incompatible characteristics that let us know that things probably won’t work out. This same incompatibility exists within our relationships and what we desire from our leaders.
If there is too much incompatibility present, that defines how long we think a relationship will last, or how long a leader can sustain their power. Mr. Sunak is looked at as pragmatic and competent, characteristics that the U.K. has been lacking in their leaders until now, so the country as a whole is hopeful and optimistic. Maybe we too, have been seeking out romantic partners that don’t truly embody the characteristics we’d want in a significant other. Maybe we need to choose partners with more virtuous qualities, like Mr. Sunak, for things to last.
So what else can we do to avoid moving on quickly from relationship to relationship? What can a leader do to ensure they are not quickly removed from power like Liz Truss and the previous prime ministers of the U.K.? Much like Mr. Sunak being the first prime minister of color, maybe we also need to expand our preferences when it comes to dating. That would allow us to have more options and give chances to people we wouldn’t normally give chances to. This in turn, could lead us to the love we were looking for, or the leader we have been waiting for.
The question is - will things like choosing partners and leaders with better character or expanding our preferences really make things last? In doing those things, will your relationship make it to the Christmas holiday? As for Mr. Sunak to Britain's top job, will he instill the virtues needed to sustain his power until Christmas?
