The Personal makes the Professional
The old adage that 'a fish rots from its head' seems to hold deep wisdom. Similarly, with the observation that 'people don't leave jobs, they leave managers',
Leadership is a quality that can transform situations, organisations, and societies for the better or for the worse, that can provide salvation to a seemingly hopeless situation, or snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Great leaders have rescued societies from the verge of collapse, and lead their united peoples to rally in defense of the realm through common purpose. Some have used such techniques effectively, yet in the service of wicked purposes, such as enslaving and plundering their neighbors. Terrible leaders have doomed their nations to starvation and ruin through short-sighted interventions such as price controls or rampant inflation, metastasizing manageable problems into manageable ones.
“If you manage an organic system as if it were an inorganic system, you will eventually succeed in turning it into one.”
A wise leader knows that sometimes the optimal choice is to do nothing, and to simply allow events to take their course, and resolve by their own. Confucian and Taoist philosophies of leadership respect wilfully choosing to do nothing on occasion as a hallmark of great leadership.
Leadership may be on a very small scale – taking leadership to resolve a relational dynamic that warrants correction before getting any worse. One might employ leadership in a familial context, providing guidance and correction to children or a younger sibling.
One can also employ self-leadership via the 'superego' to forbid oneself a temptation, or to forego a treat until a tough job has been done to satisfaction.
In fact, I am inclined to believe that all leadership descends from this quality. Self-leadership enables one to hold the moral authority required to lead others by example. If one lacks character, or a balance of virtues, one is very unlikely to inspire others to follow one for long. One may attract the mercenary-minded as fair weather friends, but they are likely to betray one when fortunes turn or the coffers run dry. Conversely, if one’s commitment to virtue seems too superhuman and unobtainable, one is unlikely to inspire the typical citizen to a commonality of purpose either.
Inspiring others through a grand shared vision and a transformational purpose to the group enables one to attract 'missionaries', those who desire to see their works spend upon a purposeful outcome in which they find meaning. Something which speaks to those aspects of the human condition which we all share – defense of our families, cherishing of tradition, liberation, compassion, good health, education, and friendship.
In an organisational context, leadership involves setting guidance for others generally with a formal or implicit hierarchy. This changes the dynamics of such leadership as care must be taken to ensure that one does not overstep the bounds of authority – that one respects the needs of others and ensures that their autonomy is respected as much as is possible.
I have generally chosen to respect the autonomy and personal insights of colleagues within organisations or projects that I lead. I prefer to manage by objectives, trusting in good people, as I share my own passions and concerns with others, expounding as to the bigger picture of how our combined efforts can benefit humanity and our planet.
If a leader can set an understandable goal, and outline the meaning behind its realisation, and empower those who follow to follow their initiative according to safe principles, they have a very good chance of prevailing in their mission.