Qualities of a Leader

[crispini]

A leader is best when people barely know that he exists.
Less good when they obey and acclaim him.
Worse when they fear and despise him.
Fail to honor people, and they fail to honor you.
But of a good leader, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
they will say, "We did this ourselves."

-- Lao-Tzu

Comments?

[Larkspur]

1. Howard Dean did say that he had kind of a Zen like view of power...

He had to empower his supporters in order to get power.

According to Robert Greenleaf, author of the Servant Leader, there are different types of leaders. Some work alone pursuing a goal or vision, and others lead groups of various sizes pursuing goals or visions. Depending on the situation at hand, sometimes leaders arise from the ranks of the followers to tackle a specific issue and after that issue is gone, the leader descends back into the ranks of the followers.

But the things all leaders have in common is that they have a VISION to pursue, a plan to implement it, and the determination to see it to fulfilment.

[crispini]

3. Oooo. That sounds like a very interesting book.

Tell me more.....

[Larkspur]

5. Check it out at Amazon.com

Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0809105543/ref=pd_sim_b_1/104-6052575-7183925?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance

Robert Greenleaf, the late AT&T exec, wrote a series of lectures in the late 1960's about Servant as Leader. Greeleaf was disturb by the decay of leadership in our nation's institutions -- business, religion, education, and government. He pioneered at the institutional level a new paradigm of leadership based upon a holistic and moral vision as opposed to the traditional patriarchal/feudal top-down, "obey and pay" model. His paradigm was more horizontal than vertical in structure and he was for long-term sustainability as opposed to just achieving short-term and bottom-line goals.

[MsAnthropy]

2. The Worst. President. Ever. is also the Worst. Leader. Period.

[crispini]

4. "fear and despise"

certainly made me think of certain people.... :P