Step aside

Saturday, 2024-4-27, Word of the Day: Step aside

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WotD: Step aside

Knowing when to step aside and when to continue leading is a difficult decision that often separates good leaders from great ones.

While having a strong sense of purpose and conviction is beneficial, leaders must also be humble enough to recognize when their time has come and when it is time to step aside for the good of the organization or community.

A prime example is when politicians overstay their welcome.

At the beginning of their tenure, politicians may be well-intentioned and have the support of their constituents.

However, as time passes, they may become more focused on maintaining their power than serving their constituents.

We only have to look at modern-day Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party for examples.

They have become entrenched in their positions and not only resistant to change but unaware that dramatic change is immediately necessary to end the decades-long stagnation and lack of progress.


To step aside means voluntarily giving up your position of power or influence to make way for new leadership and fresh ideas.

It means prioritizing the greater good over what you feel is best for you.


A politician who recognizes when it is time to step aside demonstrates self-awareness and humility.

By passing the baton, they can ensure that the organization or community continues to grow and thrive under new leadership.

On the other hand, a politician who refuses to step aside eventually becomes stagnant and ineffective.

Instead of helping their nation, they instill resistance to change and an unwillingness to listen to new ideas, which can lead to the place Japan finds itself in today. 


Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test

This post is understandable by someone with at least a 9th-grade education (age 15).  

On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 50.  

The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100. 


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