Leadership Is Not a Solitary Task. We often think of leadership as a solitary task. Buying into Thomas caryles great man theory of history, we speak of leadership in solitary and personal terms. And certainly history is filled with examples of men and women like Trocme, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa and Chief Obafemi Awolowo who took bold individual action. But most real change- even the change driven by those aforementioned leaders- is community driven and community focused. Some of the greatest accomplishments in business, politics, and culture have come not from individual initiative alone but from those working in, with and for community. In short, no man is an island, and we are better leaders when we are rooted in a community empowered to counsel us, challenge us and hold us accountable. Great leaders often realize they must act not in isolation but with community. The easiest way to fail is to come up with the right solution in isolation, without first worrying about getting the input of and ownership by the broader community. Ships have captains, but they are only turned when the entire crew works as a community to shift the ships direction. One of the easiest ways for a leader to fail is to forget that her power is limited in isolation and nearly endless if amplified throughout the collective intelligence and resources of the community. The most inspiring leadership is that done for the community. There are certainly moments when we do things purely for ourselves, and thats not all bad. A distance runner racing to win a marathon is no less admirable if she is racing only to test her own boundaries and achieve an individual victory. But few will follow a leader who is focused solely on his own goals, and many of the most inspiring leadership victories are those done in service of a community. As a politician, people dont buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe. People dont like to follow leaders who are dedicated only to their own personal glory, but they will sacrifice everything for leaders and communities who give them a higher calling, a greater purpose. And whether in politics or business, leadership for community is almost always the most powerful.
Posted on: Tue, 27 May 2014 04:07:27 +0000
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