Verse Seventy-Five
The group will not prosper if the leader grabs the
lion's share of the credit for the good work that has been done.
The group will rebel and resist if the leader relies on
strict controls in an effort to make things come out a
certain way.
The group members will become deadened and
unresponsive if the leader is critical and harsh.
The wise leader is not greedy, selfish, defensive, or
demanding. That is why the leader can be trusted
to allow any event to unfold naturally.
~ John Heider rendition ~
Someone else once said that the best leaders are those willing to serve others. As Heider makes clear in his rendition, such individuals do their best "leading" by getting out of the way and allowing the group to unfold naturally. When we try to orchestrate things toward a preconceived objective or solution, it's almost always not the best objective or solution simply because it is predetermined and we have not allowed new information or ideas to alter the course.
For me, I think the best leaders are those who serve as humble role models. It is those individuals who lead lives of simplicity, compassion and contentment. When we encounter people like this, most of us are in awe. We want to learn from and work with them because they make us feel good about ourselves and the community at large.
In essence, the humble leader/role model motivates us to try to replicate those aspects that make such leaders/role models beloved. A leader who is beloved can expect the greatest devotion and zeal from their constituents or disciples. People will go to the ends of the earth or give their lives to meet the objectives the leader and the group promote.
If you look at today's world, few of those kinds of leaders exist anymore. There don't seem to be any Dorothy Days, Martin Luther King Juniors or Gandhis out there. Today's so-called leaders are NOT humble and, thus, they aren't beloved. They lead by force and coercion. They try to orchestrate all movements of the group or nation. And then they wonder why they are not beloved?!
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
For me, I think the best leaders are those who serve as humble role models. It is those individuals who lead lives of simplicity, compassion and contentment. When we encounter people like this, most of us are in awe. We want to learn from and work with them because they make us feel good about ourselves and the community at large.
In essence, the humble leader/role model motivates us to try to replicate those aspects that make such leaders/role models beloved. A leader who is beloved can expect the greatest devotion and zeal from their constituents or disciples. People will go to the ends of the earth or give their lives to meet the objectives the leader and the group promote.
If you look at today's world, few of those kinds of leaders exist anymore. There don't seem to be any Dorothy Days, Martin Luther King Juniors or Gandhis out there. Today's so-called leaders are NOT humble and, thus, they aren't beloved. They lead by force and coercion. They try to orchestrate all movements of the group or nation. And then they wonder why they are not beloved?!
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
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