Wilson Goode's Failure as the Mayor of Philadelphia: The MOVE Incident
Quality leadership is a telling sign of a successful organization. When given the opportunity to guide or direct others, a leader is capable of drawing individuals or groups together to accomplish certain goals. Given the responsibility to address a problem that had developed over a span of many months concerning a cult called MOVE, newly elected Philadelphia Mayor, Wilson Goode did not exercise his authority as the elected leader by working meticulously with the other city officials and offices to shut down MOVE operations and protect the city’s residents from their presence. His inaction caused tragic results in which eleven people died. Wilson Goode’s failure as a leader in this situation is significant to the understanding of the characteristics of high-quality leadership due to the belief that prior to this tragic situation, Goode had demonstrated good leadership choices in other not so tense situations. There were certain factors internal and external that led to his downfall.
The main reason for his downfall was not able to access the seriousness of the safety issue that was arising. This event is about an organization named MOVE started by John Africa and was based on black liberation. It was started on 1972, and they took part in many demonstrations which they thought was important for them. After a confrontation with Philadelphia Police Department on 1978, nine members were imprisoned and the group was relocated in 6221 Osage Avenue. In 1985 after a long term of waiting for MOVE members to give up their act and stop the public disturbances, finally government decided to intervene. Some of the acts of the MOVE were scaring residents at night by running on the roof top with a shot gun in his hand, loudspeakers harangues were conducted on a daily basis for six to eight hours for nearly 8 months, threatened lives of public officials, and personal attacks on neighbors with accusations of homosexuality, child molestation or sexual inadequacy. Mayor then
The main reason for his downfall was not able to access the seriousness of the safety issue that was arising. This event is about an organization named MOVE started by John Africa and was based on black liberation. It was started on 1972, and they took part in many demonstrations which they thought was important for them. After a confrontation with Philadelphia Police Department on 1978, nine members were imprisoned and the group was relocated in 6221 Osage Avenue. In 1985 after a long term of waiting for MOVE members to give up their act and stop the public disturbances, finally government decided to intervene. Some of the acts of the MOVE were scaring residents at night by running on the roof top with a shot gun in his hand, loudspeakers harangues were conducted on a daily basis for six to eight hours for nearly 8 months, threatened lives of public officials, and personal attacks on neighbors with accusations of homosexuality, child molestation or sexual inadequacy. Mayor then
Bibliography: Stillman, Richard J. II Public Administration: Concepts and Cases, Eighth Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005.