Blog #186--Leadership and Neoleadership

Politics has never interested me, but I was especially ignorant about the details while young. My mom and dad took opposite sides in the competition between Republicans and Democrats, but I didn’t really know what the two parties represented. Things became more confusing when terms like liberal and conservative became popular.

I think most people have this same problem. They hear the words, but they don’t know what they mean or how they might affect their individual lives. If they pay attention to politics, it is usually based on one or a few issues of importance to them personally. If they join one of the political parties, some may do so out of ideology, but others simply want the security of knowing they are part of a national movement that seems to represent their interests, at least some of the time.

And in the last 30-50 years or so, new variations on these themes have become part of the vernacular. Neoliberal and neoconservative are now in vogue and represent mixtures of the two philosophies. For instance, neoliberals might be concerned about some social issues that affect their fellow man, but they also favor free market economics espoused by the conservatives. And neoconservatives might resist change and hate big government and its accompanying taxes like a typical conservative, but at the same time favor big government support of massive military spending. It all gets kind of confusing since most people are their own unique mixtures of ideals and self-interests.

I may not know much about these philosophies, but I do know a thing or two about leadership. The one thing all these groups show us consistently is a lack of leadership. The more they pronounce their authority and demonstrate their power, the more they prove they are not leaders. But since most of us have only rarely if ever seen a true leader in action, we don’t know any better but to presume our political leaders are actually capable of leading countries and their people wisely. Perhaps it would be smart to find people capable of true leadership for a change.

What are the characteristics of a good leader? I learned a lot about leadership by being in the Boy Scouts of America. For instance, the Boy Scout oath states: “I promise to do my best, to do my duty to God and my country, to obey the Scout laws, to help other people at all times, and to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.” Those who truly follow that pledge would likely serve as good leaders. That is especially true if they take the Scout laws to heart: “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”

I tried to live up to those ideals, but it certainly isn’t always easy. In fact, over the years I’ve learned more about what not to do as a leader. We can all talk a good game, but practicing what we preach is a far different matter. Most of my sports coaches growing up were there to make sure their own sons received playing time, whether deserving or not. Many of the “leaders” I’ve worked under have placed their own self-interests and those of their closest allies ahead of the needs of the rest. Dictators are the exact opposite of good leaders, but many are supported by other countries around the world because they are easy to bribe or blackmail.

As I stated in my book “It’s a Secret, So Pass It On: a Toolbox For Life,” natural leaders are rarely if ever elected to office. They know how difficult it is to lead and are hesitant except during desperate times. And those doing the voting are often attracted to politicians who tell them what they want to hear. But despite these limitations, I hope that offering a few characteristics of an ideal leader will help readers become more aware of characteristics worth seeking in future leaders.

1. A leader is unselfish. As Spock said in a Star Trek movie, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.” A true leader puts his or her selfish interests last in order of importance.

2. A leader considers the needs of his enemies as equal to the needs of his friends. A leader is responsible for everyone in his group, country or whatever regardless of race, politics or financial situation. Decisions must be made that can maximize benefits for the largest number of people, and these decisions may need to be reversed at a later date when circumstances change. Everyone can win part of the time that way.

3. A leader will accept responsibility for decisions made and will consider the long-term complications those decisions may produce. No decision can be made without recognizing and accepting the cost financially, culturally and in terms of lives damaged or lost.

4. Karmic debt may be steep, especially when deciding on acts of war or anything that affects negatively a large number of people. A leader must recognize the likelihood of having to repay these debts before balance can be restored. And he or she must be prepared to accept responsibility for the karmic debts he helped cause for the group represented.

5. A leader must try to understand the opposition and find ways of preventing bloodshed if at all possible. But if peace efforts fail, he or she must be prepared to attack or defend if necessary. Profit is maximized through war, and peace can spoil greed games. But profit should not be a consideration when deciding on war.

6. A leader must be willing to lead his group into battle and not sit back in an easy chair some distance from the fighting and expect others to do the dirty work. How can a leader expect others to fight if he is not willing to place himself and his family in equal jeopardy?

7. A leader is honest. We live in an age where secrecy is paramount, at least according to world leaders. But, with the possible exception of immediate battle plans during war, telling the entire group what is actually going on allows them to assist in the decision-making. If a majority of people are opposed after having all the facts at their disposal, a leader should consider their preferences strongly before making any major decisions.

8. A leader keeps his promises or, if there’s a chance a promise can’t be kept, it isn’t offered in the first place.

9. A leader is willing to give up his or her position if it best serves the needs of the group. Humility and morality are a way of life. Martyrdom is always a possibility as well.

Those who tire of all the lies and treacheries common in the world are looking for true leaders, not “neoleaders.” “Faux leaders” might be another good term for those who say all the right things to get elected or hired and then turn around and do something exactly opposite once in a leadership position. True leaders do exist; it is up to us to find them and place them in positions of authority.

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