The polls make it obvious: Americans are dissatisfied with their leaders. That sense of grievance applies to presidents, of course, as both Donald Trump and predecessor Joe Biden have chalked up dismally low approval ratings. But the frustrations go well beyond those two supposed leaders of the free world.

Across public service, business, education, health care and even sports, being a leader is in some ways harder than ever. And succeeding as a leader in America today takes not only a special person with traits like authenticity and trustworthiness, but also a support system that is increasingly elusive — from the halls of Congress to the football gridiron.

To regain trust, leaders need to be accountable, deliver results and seek unity over polarization. Yes, we know what many of you are thinking, and the problem is not just Trump, most recently entering into a war with Iran despite scant public support — or congressional approval.

Consider business, where chief executive officers are being replaced at a historically high pace. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that about one in nine CEOs of the 1,500 largest public companies were replaced last year — the highest turnover rate since at least 2010 in the wake of the Great Recession. This time, the changes kept coming even as the stock market kept going up.

The latest batch of CEOs are mostly younger and less experienced than their predecessors. They’re very likely less secure in their roles, and the pace of change shows no sign of slowing. Bellwethers like Walmart and Procter & Gamble got new bosses in 2026, continuing what the Financial Times dubbed “The age of the disposable leader.”

But why have America’s CEOs become disposable?

Advances in artificial intelligence have forced CEOs to sink fortunes into unproven new technology to keep up with competitors, and to make crushingly unpopular decisions. Just last month, Block CEO Jack Dorsey cut 4,000 jobs, nearly half the staff at his financial-technology company, after he decided that AI made them unnecessary.

While being confronted with disruptive technological change and economic uncertainty, business leaders also face impatient shareholders and corporate directors demanding immediate results. An always-on environment can lead to burnout. Missteps get trumpeted in social media. And in some cases, CEOs have less authority, as flatter organizations emphasize collaboration over top-down decision-making.

No wonder leadership pipelines are thinning.

That decline in leadership shows up in authoritative surveys like the Pew Research Center’s benchmark poll, which finds that trust in government to do what’s right is hovering near historic lows. The Edelman Trust Barometer shows deep distrust of institutions and growing political polarization.

You might think some areas of American life are immune from leadership crises. Sports, for instance, should be above the fray, correct? Not so fast.

In a revealing study, The Athletic reviewed all 160 NFL head-coaching hires made between 2000 and 2022, using measures like length of tenure and team record to evaluate success. Bottom line: 60% of head coach hires were straight-up failures, an ominous sign considering 10 of the NFL’s 32 teams hired new head coaches just this year.

Only 8% of coaches hired during the period under review earned the highest marks. And 17 teams were consistent losers, led by the Raiders, who failed at an astonishing nine of 10 hires. (Bill Callahan was the lone exception, and he was still fired a year after leading his team to a Super Bowl as a rookie head coach.)

The Bears are not among the worst teams, and we’re hopeful that coach Ben Johnson, hired a year ago, turns out to be that rare consistent winner. As The Athletic found, much depends not only on finding the right person, but also on cultivating a successful environment around them.

As failures pile up across the board, in an election year no less, it’s tempting to lower expectations and assume the worst. Don’t.

America has seen its way through periods of rocky leadership before. As the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary this year, it’s important to remember that we, the people, have overcome crises of the past. The periods before and after the Civil War spring to mind, along with the corruption of the Gilded Age and the repression of McCarthyism.

Keep demanding a high standard. Successful leaders are indeed rare, in all walks of life, but finding them, elevating them and supporting them is essential to our nation’s future.

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