Power And Leaders
“What’s the paper in your hand?” Lulu, asked me. Among the most curious specimens of the order Psittaciformes is Lulu, my parrot.
“Sujata Deshmukh wants me to answer some questions on leadership; deep as they are it has set me thinking.”
“Trust Sujata to do that; what’s the question?”
“What is one characteristic of a leader which could lead to disaster and his downfall?”
“So? What’s your answer?”
“Thinking about it. Lack of integrity, corruption…. I mean there are many characteristics which will cause a leader’s downfall.”
“Usually people display good level of integrity. Nobody wants to be corrupt. All that is the result, usually, not the cause. Power destroys leaders when leaders get power hungry.”
“They get drunk with power,” I looked at the coffee table book on World War II. I thought Hitler was staring at me.
“You said ‘drunk with power.’ That provides a remarkable insight. Hidden under those words is the metaphor of alcoholism and it so true, so apt!”
“Don’t speak in riddles. Your language reminds me of OD consultants”
“Ha, ha! Look, nobody likes the first taste of alcohol; be it wine, whisky or beer. You ‘develop’ a taste for it. Perhaps because that’s what grown up men, people to whom you look up to, drink.”
“They are aware of the danger involved……”
“…..and you decide to do it only occasionally. Social drinking. In their initial days good leaders seem to use power sparingly. They invite participation.”
“And then they start enjoying it more and more. I got it. Getting drunk with power is not different!”
“Wielding power and empowerment do not go together. There is nothing more ridiculous than a leader saying ‘I empower people.’ It is like telling a dog on a leash that he has freedom.”
“Oh! That’s too strong an expression. Don’t leaders empower people?”
“Leaders create a culture of empowerment; it is different from a leader empowering people. In such a culture alternate view on any issue is heard and not dismissed summarily. The empowerment culture comes out of respect and dignity. People feel valued and contribute well.”
“People observe the leader and imitate him.”
“True. That is why power distances people, empowerment culture brings them closer.”
“When power distances people, it is an invitation to corruption. Didn’t Lord Acton say ‘Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’”
“Ha, ha! Lord Acton got it wrong. As Osho pointed out, only a corruptible can be corrupted. There are several examples of honest leaders too.”
“Is there any psychological test to identify the corruptible?”
“It is better to focus on identifying the honest. And it is also important to check who is interpreting the score.” Lulu laughed, looked at me and flew away.
Vivek S Patwardhan
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
I was incidentally reflecting on this today myself. Might I say that it is the imbalance of power that we should take cognisance of for the most part. The construct o a group of all leaders is well laid out in Martin Scott Peck’s book A Different Drum. What confuses many here is that even in a collective the individual leader is powerful. He takes responsibility for the position and decides in the interest of the community being served too. The differences between what you term as ‘power-hungry’ or the ‘drunk on power’ leader and the responsible leader are at least twofold.
1. The ethics of service is compromised, and selfish access to resources is the most abject usurping of authority.
2. Authoritarianism is itself exposed as a decision making predisposition without collaborating with others
Essentially, two angles to get to this. the first is downright social psychology of influence. the other is of philosophy. Psychologists will look for the dysfunctions of the effective leader. A rather clinical approach. The philosopher will look at the meaning making process for the leader – that which takes away from or makes for greatness in man.
Maybe I’ve overstayed Lulu’s welcome here. But, I was indeed reflecting on that today. A classical treatise on this is written by Gabrielle Lakomski in her book on Distributed Leadership, where the case for leadership as a function of social learning and cognition is systematically dealt with.
Interesting discussion on leader, leadership and characteristics thereof. Thanks for sharing.I may add that leadership qualities are well described by swami Samantha Ramdas when he talks about king Shivaji. Eg Nischayacha mahameru bahut janansi adharu or Srimanta. Yogi.
Regards