Think of the great leaders of the world - the giants of industry, the financial wizards, the healers, the inventors, the humanitarians. We look to our leaders to set the pace, and to change the world. Sometimes, the leaders upon whom we rely let us down, or worse, lead us down a horrible route. We follow, largely because we hope, and even believe, that they know where they are going, and what is best for us. It is a habit engrained into us, from the moment that we look to our parents for support, protection and guidance. Parents, too, occasionally fail.
Leadership has proven to be essential to the growth of this world. Yet, it is leadership that may also be destroying our environment. Many of us would love to be able to be involved in making a difference, and seek leaders of varying capacities and capabilities to show us how to do so. Since Greenpeace began tackling whaling issues, or PETA began speaking out in unusual ways against animal cruelty, hundreds of thousands of followers have taken up the cause. Slowly, the world is responding positively.
Once Microsoft and Macintosh set the stage for a major shift in technology and personal computing, that aspect of our globe saw burgeoning innovations that now are commonplace, as other inventors and visionaries discovered unique applications of the computer technology. At the same time, financial leaders, wrongly motivated by greed instead of responsibility, drew countless other would-be millionaires into investment strategies that nearly caused the collapse of global markets.
Leaders in one venue, though, are not necessarily equipped to lead in others. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, credited with saving the United Kingdom against the aggression of Germany's Hitler, was promptly discarded as leader of the UK once the war was over. He was seen as lacking peacetime skills. On the other hand, President Eisenhower succeeded on the battlefield and in the political area.
Government offers the most distinct opportunity to choose who you believe is best to guide you, and for politicians to garner an army of followers. Too often, though, we choose our political leaders based on likeability, or worse, the ability to deceive us. Yet, the very nature of politics is one of compromise, which, in turn, leads to muted versions of ideals. Consider the failing of the 2010-12 US Congress, gridlocked because each party was unable or unwilling to moderate its dogmatic approach to issues of concern.
Politics, however, also offers the opportunity for intelligent citizens to scrutinize the leaders, compel change in them and impact on policies. Whether one agrees with their values or not, the Tea Party illustrates the power of followers who exercise their option to accept only the positions important to them.
The dichotomy between leadership and following, and the influence each has on the other is magnified in politics, because largely it is public. The paradox of a leader following public opinion and a follower dictating the direction for leaders to lead also reveals the value of following.
We all have the capacity to change the world. However, most of us fail to achieve our potential to contribute, because we doubt the value of our input and wait for leadership that coincides with our objectives. Instead, we can make the most difference when we take the time to analyze various positions to determine those that most closely approximate our own, and then become involved with that aspect of our lives. By committing to a cause, we have taken the most critical step in changing the world. Once involved, we can let our leaders know how we want them to adjust their positions and, if they prove unwilling to do so, we can undertake the process of shaping and grooming a new leader. Leadership has its place, but its primary value is in reflecting and promoting the position of its followers.
The keys, therefore, to changing the part of the world that we want altered are simple: good values, solid leadership, and followers who choose and shape their leaders thoughtfully.
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