We need the art of leadership, not the art of the deal

In today’s climate of moral ambiguity, ethical lapses, and political uncertainty, having competent leaders at all level of government is more essential than ever.

What, though, makes a leader? Too many people believe that the mere possession of power or a fancy title makes a person a leader. Power and a title make a person a boss, or in the case of nations, a leader—but, leadership is an entirely different kettle of fish.

True leadership is not about giving orders or receiving obedience from followers. One can be a leader without a title, and with no more power than the ability to motivate people to achieve more than they believe themselves capable of achieving.

A leader, first and foremost, is someone who cares about those who follow. A true leader is more a guide and mentor than a director. The best leaders, in fact, seldom give orders; they create visions and communicate those visions to others in such a compelling way, they’re followed out of curiosity. Great leaders are great communicators. They are able to paint a vision of a positive future, and translate that vision into terms that others can understand and believe in.

Leaders are honest. They don’t tell people what they ‘want’ to hear, but what they ‘need’ to hear. They have integrity. A good leader does not have to describe correct behavior and conduct—he or she models it in every action. A good leader has the courage to take unpopular actions for the good of others, rather than pander to special interests, put personal interests first, or take the easy way out.

A leader, in order to be effective, must put the good of the many ahead of the benefit of the privileged few.

The world is a complex and dangerous place. Groups without effective leadership are little better than mobs, surging from crisis to crisis, energy dissipated in unfocused groping for coherence. Leadership is essential to move the mass in a positive direction. It doesn’t matter if it’s a social club or a nation, without effective, enlightened leadership, progress is accidental, often in the wrong direction, and many opportunities are missed.

Good leaders focus on doing the right things, rather than appeasing special interests. This is not to say that things shouldn’t be done right, but before expending energy on a task, a good leader asks if it should be done at all. One can argue that the Holocaust was an efficiently run program attempting to annihilate an entire race of people, but it’s inarguable that it wasn’t the ‘right’ thing to do.

We have lots of bosses and rulers, people who are expert at ‘making deals,’ but, if we’re ever to have true peace, security, and prosperity, what we need is better leadership.