Leadership

Is is a virtue? The military makes a big deal out of it. Business pays lip service to it. Politicians talk about having it. What’s it really all about? Getting people to do things that they would not normally do.

In the military it’s convincing people that it’s a good idea to charge a machine gun nest -and other things against their personal best interest. In business, it’s about getting more productivity out of people. That might be fine for the bosses and owners, but how does working harder benefit the peons? It only is of value to them if it helps them get into a management position where they can “lead” those below them.

Leadership is about getting people to set aside their own self interest for something else. Leaders can sacrifice their followers for the good of politicians, generals and CEOs. Religious leaders get people to give up wealth and pleasure for some supposed greater reward.

We are used to thinking of leadership as a good quality, but it all depends on the circumstances. A leader can send people to their deaths, or a leader may guide people out of a burning building. Leadership can be used for good, but it can be used for evil. Hitler was a very effective leader, but so was Gandhi.

I’m more of a fan of fellowship -everyone working together as equals, but with different abilities.

Picture it this way. A leader breaks trail with his band of followers behind him. In a fellowship, they take turns breaking trail so no one carries the full burden. The leader makes decisions on where to go and what to do. The fellowship makes joint decisions based on their differing knowledge and experience.

A fellowship shares knowledge and experience. It’s only natural that some people will have greater abilities in some areas than others. However, that knowledge is not kept secret but shared for the good of all. We don’t keep secrets to keep our leadership position as leadership has no great value for us in the first place. A fellowship is more resilient as the loss of one person does not fatally cripple the group.

Leadership has it’s place, especially in emergency situations where there isn’t time for a conference. Most of the time I’m all for fellowship and being neither a leader nor a follower.

-Sixbears