Leadership

I grew up thinking about will-o-the wisps. Remember those from childhood literature? I recall a tale with a murky swamp, steam rising from surface water, fog falling through mysterious tree limbs on high. A strange glow appeared in the misty gloom. It took a shape, not stable, but amorphous and constantly changing. The light was somewhat white but more like a pale yellow.

Was the will-o-the-wisp of good or evil nature? I simply don’t remember that part of it all. I do recall wondering about its portent.

Today’s national mood echoes the murky swamp setting. We know we don’t like it; we would rather be somewhere else. We seek answers to the confusion. We want a clear path toward light and normal. We see the light but do not trust it. Is it ‘the way out’ or a will-o-the-wisp?

Leadership is like that in my experience. We do not readily trust the apparent ‘leader’ to actually be the leader. We are tentative in following advice and direction. We perceive our situation from our unique perspective. From that we imagine solutions to our situation. My thinking seems just fine, thank you. Why should I listen or follow directions from the person appearing as our leader?

One thing I learned early in my career is this – leaders need followers. If the leader convinces others to follow him or her, then he or she is the leader in that instance. Followers are persuaded to be such. It depends on what answers seem reasonable at the time for the circumstance.

A national leader has the same function to provide when earned. That is a loaded statement worthy of rereading. A national leader has the same function to provide when earned. The leader has to earn the trust of others that the answers/solutions offered are reasonable, workable and worth supporting. Thus the others become followers or supporters. Not forever but per instance. Successive successes in a string of instances earns that leader a larger role to play now and in the near future.

Just because we have elected senators, congresspeople and a President, does not mean they are the leader of circumstance. It means they have authority to perform important tasks. How well they do earn them followers for future instances.

America is a nation of doubters these days. Many people are pummeled by many problems and open questions to ponder. To be vaccinated or not, to vote or not, to support immigration or not, to protect my family from external influences or not, which diet to follow or not, which restaurant to eat at or not, to dine in or out, to drive or take public transportation, to support abortion rights or not. All of these are choices we make in our life journey. Hundreds of other choices are made each day of mundane nature, but still necessary. Not choosing is a decision as well. Put all of this together and you and I have to follow our own instincts or follow group beliefs, a policy offering, or a leader’s opinion.

Most of us have a sense of the issues involved. But most of us have no clue as to the best solution to choose. Therefore we are left with the task of choosing a trusted leader to follow. That is the first step in followership. First we recognized our need to follow someone who has more answers and knowledge than we have. Second, we must choose who. Third, we make the commitment to be a follower until dissuaded otherwise.

Today, few people trust government. Too few trust elected officials. Too many trust only their own sense of reality. Problem is, they do not know enough to trust their own knowledge base. Only if we keep minds open to new data and rethinking old thoughts in a fresh approach, do we have the ability and faith that working together we can solve old problems. It is not my mind that will save the world; it is our minds that will do that. Trust in cooperation and sharing ideas. Trust and receive. Trusts and give.

This is us living together.

September 24, 2021