The leaders we need

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his job is done, his goal accomplished, they will say: we did it ourselves.” -Lao Tse

The world is full of loud and prominent men and women who have been acclaimed or confidently proclaimed as leaders. Our history books tell of individuals whose ambition and forceful will have shaped the course of civilization for better or worse, most often for their own advancement and glorification. I don’t see anything friend of that; we all aspire to our own ideas of greatness, and those who have achieved some degree of it are right to revel in their own achievements.

Focus on the current times: individual men and women are more powerful than ever. Whereas the monarchs of yore ruled only to the extent of their claimed lands, the CEOs of the largest corporations have their tendrils of influence literally across the planet. You could say that they don’t have a stranglehold on the earth and its people, but vaguely quoting someone, you’ll find that the most effective way to rule over the people is when they are unaware that they are being ruled.

If Genghis Khan were alive, he would probably drool at the sheer wealth and power these modern empires have at their disposal.

Now, a question: do we need more leaders like Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great or Cyrus, King of the Four Corners of the World? We do not lack men and women with determination; it is what they are determined to do that needs adjustment. At this stage of our civilization, will humanity benefit from more conquerors and outright tyrants who glorify their own name?

I posit that it is indeed time for more benevolent, progressive, unifying leaders to take the proverbial helm. It’s not that there aren’t such leaders in history and today; I think we need even more of them, and in places where they can be most effective. Our mother ship, the planet Earth, needs a good captain.

I’ll attempt to list a handful of qualities or traits that our captains of today and tomorrow will need in abundance, and possibly an example of a leader in history who could be considered an example of the aforementioned characteristics.

Patience

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” – Aristotle

Too often we have powerful but impulsive minds leading the charge towards personal gain and what is roughly but accurately defined as “bragging rights”. The biggest revenues, the tallest skyscrapers, the biggest launch parties… all no matter the cost (and money isn’t even the biggest thing we could lose).

In the age of instant gratification and incredibly fast data transmission, we often forget that the best decisions made for the benefit of most people are those that are well thought out and will require a considerable amount of foresight and time. Rushing headlong into quick and easy wins and taking unreasonable risks (with other people’s money) to reap big profits is the kind of mindset that got us into our current financial mess in the first place.

Sun Tzu commented that he who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.

Compassion

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to change a life.” -Leo Buscaglia

Many of us have been taught to aggressively pursue what we want. Callous aggression and ruthlessness, even at the cost of trampling on others, are rewarded. Many CEOs get a pat on the back (and a morbid obesity bonus paycheck) for cutting costs and increasing profits; never mind the employees who were laid off, and the ones left who have to work twice as hard to keep their jobs.

We could use more humanistic coaches and captains, the kind of people who realize that the overall goal is to make things better for everyone. There will be many situations where compromise and sacrifices will be essential, but not to the point of irrevocably devaluing humanity and things essential and important to humanity. Lincoln understood this on a level that enabled him to defend the rights of all men, even at the expense of his own personal safety.

Courage

“Don’t get caught up in dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and your intuition. – Steve Jobs

It’s easy to tow the line and just follow a tried and tested formula. I’m not against tradition, yes. There is a reason these practices are perpetuated: they work. However, like anything in this world, they can always be improved.

The courage I speak of implies the willingness to overcome all obstacles and do whatever it takes to get the job done. Such a will faces strong adversities: the old ways, external criticism, those who would want to protect you from your “foolishness”, those who would like to see you stagnant and fail, and the biggest obstacle of all: your own being. -doubt.

George Washington was by no means a phenomenon. Like many of us, life-changing trials, dilemmas, and total defeat marked his existence. What made him our symbol of leadership was his decision to go ahead and win our freedom against one of the most powerful empires of the time.

Faith

“Every morning has two handles. We can grab it with the handle of anxiety or with the handle of faith.” -Henry Ward Beecher

I am not referring to faith in something supernatural. The faith I claim leaders should have is one that resides in more earthly vessels, namely that of their fellow men (women) and themselves. We are capable of so many wonderful feats, as well as other horrible and detestable ones.

Leaders do not and cannot achieve monumental feats by themselves and, as history tells us, they drive people through varying proportions of fear and inspiration. What I propose is that those who are in control move the slider towards inspiration. They must show faith in their constituents to do the right thing and not rely on an iron fist to keep them in line.

In the hope that these ideas can encourage people to go beyond their perceived limitations and helplessness, I wish you, the reader, a good day. Ahead!