Why I Won't Be Calling For Rob Ford To Resign

"I was taken aback," said Morris.  "It was over the top.  That is not his job."

Clearly, we're in uncharted territory here.  Under circumstances as incriminating as Ford's are, most politicians feel compelled to show at least some contrition, even if it's only to mend their reputations rather than preserve the integrity of their office.  

After initially saying "I did not have sexual relations with that woman," Bill Clinton eventually conceded he'd acted inappropriately; it didn't hurt his reputation any.  It's become trendy for politicians to admit to pot-smoking - as that's something a lot of average citizens due regardless of the legality, these confessions humanize the politicians and suggest it's the law, not the people that need adjustment.

But this isn't the case with Rob Ford, is it?  Crack cocaine smoking isn't such a common vice.  The production of cocaine is complex and tied to vast illegal operations that pose a significant threat to civil society.  Beyond that, Ford appears not to have any instinct for reputational defence; intransigence is his singular method of operation.

And there are still those who love him for it; he's a man on a mission, functionally fixed and steadfast in his position, no matter how ludicrous it becomes.  It's the same approach Stephen Harper is taking to the Senate Scandal, like so many of the scandals that have preceded it; stick to the messaging and wait for the whole thing to blow over.  

Both men still have their admirers, even among those who are completely frustrated with their approach and apparent lack of ethical compasses.  Ford and Harper have survived no-win scenarios before; you can't count either of them out yet. 

Which is a significant problem.

There's this crazy thing where we have begun to associate survival with leadership.  The ability of Ford and Harper to hold onto the reigns of power no matter how egregious the actions they themselves or the people they have hired commit isn't a sign of strong management skills, it's testament to their capacity to do wrong and get away with it.

Survival is inward-focused, selfish and all-to-often, detrimental to the well-being of the broader community.  Criminals who kill their enemies, catching civilians in the cross-fire are extreme examples of skilled survivors.

Leadership, on the other hand, is about obsolescence;  it puts the long-term interests of the community first.

Which trait do we tend to reward among our politicians?  It's the bombast, the story-telling, the heavy focus on bullet-point marketing and micro-targeted messages that win votes, not a thoughtful dedication to policy and a focus on accomplishment over sales.

Rob Ford has proven himself a political survivor, but his survival has come at the expense of the well-being of his office, his institution and the reputation of the city itself.  Reporters and Police Chiefs have been caught up in a net of "I know you are, but what am I" - completely unprecedented situations for professionals to find themselves in.

Were Ford a bureaucrat, Ford the Mayor would fire him with the full support of the public.  Ford the Mayor wouldn't care about why Ford the Civil Servant was a mess; that wouldn't be his problem.  That kind of scenario plays out all the time in the real world; people grappling with performance-impacting mental health issues, personal crises and familial challenges get fired irregardless of the added strain losing a job will place on them.

The system, in aggregate, is being given preference over the people who allow that system to operate.  Is it any wonder why we have such massive structural challenges in Canada?  Does it start to make sense why mental health is quickly becoming the civil rights issue of our time?

Rob Ford isn't an average employee who can be let go of easily; he's the Mayor of the biggest city in Canada.  There are no mechanisms to force him from his office between now and the next election - if he refuses to go on his own, it becomes the responsibility of everyone else to figure out how to deal with him.

That means it's up to us to lead the way forward.

I'm a big believer that every challenge provides an opportunity (which is why I tend to be good at problem-solving).  Toronto will unquestionably survive in the long-run; dare I say it's too big to fail.  

As we have a broader recognition that we need to do a better job at mental health comprehension and accommodation and as it's now very clear the Mayor has mental health-related concerns, let's make that our focus.  After all, if we can successfully remediate and accommodate a Mayor, supporting lower-level employees should be a cake-walk.

Project Remediate Ford needs to target his inner circle of enablers, chiefly his brother.  I'm sure Doug has Rob's best political intentions at heart and sees that as his appropriate focus, but come on - his brother is a heart attack waiting to happen.  You can't celebrate political wins from the grave.  It should be Doug's fraternal imperative to put his brother's health first.

Same goes for Ford's key Council supporters and financial backers; put the man ahead of the interests they see that man representing.  Empathize with him a little bit, help him onto a more sustainable path.  

That requires a big shift, though, from a "what can you do for me" enabling approach to a "what can I do for you" supportive approach.  That requires revisiting priorities, even putting one's own interests and relationship with Ford the Mayor at risk in support of Ford the Man.  Mark Towhey has already demonstrated it's possible; if enough people follow suit, we may actually be able to convince Rob Ford that intransigence isn't a strength and seeking help isn't a weakness.

To be fully comfortable in this approach, Ford's enablers will need the support of the community at large; they will by default have to become strong advocates in the vein of a Michael Kirby, pushing for a paradigm shift in how we look at mental health.

In other words, to fix the Ford Problem in a sustainable way requires everyone to change their view about the nature of mental health and the purpose of personal relationships.  If the people at the top communicate with the people at the bottom and create a shared vision of what an improved perspective could look like, that is absolutely doable.  It also happens to be critically necessary.

This is why I am not in favour of sweeping the social challenge that is Rob Ford under the carpet - there are too many mental health-related problems under there already.  We are actually fortunate to be in a position where we have no choice but to revist our beliefs if we want to clear the barrier before us and keep moving forward.

We've gotten into a bad habit of removing people who are symptoms of a structural illness instead of holistically and collaboratively seeking to fix the problem.  If Rob Ford is the tipping point that catalyzes a different approach, that's not a bad legacy to leave behind.