Jamie:
Most of your views are quite logical and well thought out. I think this is an interesting topic to start "I'm Right- You're Wrong" out with, since both of us are so versed in the rules of, not just great leadership, but exceptional leadership. I'd like to extend, and also refute your argument so our public realizes the truth about the topic of leadership.
Some idiot once said, "You will never be a leader unless you first learn to follow and be led." Now, anyone who is an actual leader knows this statement to be utterly ridiculous. Like you said, Jamie, "every leader at some point was born." Most of the leaders we cherish, and follow now were born leaders. They didn't "grow" to become the type of person other people want to be like. To extend your Star Wars analogy, Darth Sidious, or Darth Maul never thought about setting an example for their followers. Nobody wanted to "be like" them. Those were some freaky looking, messed up dudes. But they had a massive following because people were afraid of the power they held in their very hands. Anakin Skywalker followed them because he knew he was born to someday become even more powerful. This, combined with fear, is what motivates people to follow. A truly powerful leader never thinks twice about his followers. He just acts, and is followed because people are naturally afraid. This is also the case with Hitler, Jafar, Caesar, Khalif Umar, Skeletor, Oprah, Muhammad Ali, and Captain Kirk.
I'd like to give hope to the hopeless here, though. If you weren't born with leadership midichlorians in your DNA, you can always manipulate people into thinking you were. Take Ghandi for example. He had no raw power, so he starved himself until people followed him. It's all about desire. He wanted it so bad he denied himself the simple pleasures that so many live for. Enough people finally felt bad enough for him that they said "Fine, we'll revere you as a human being so you'll stop this nonsense." That's a direct quote from a majority of his followers. Another good example of manipulation is Martin Luther King. He once explained his technique using these words, "A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus." He gives himself away here, admitting openly he "molds" people to concede to his way of thinking. But even in his blunder, he gives the DNA-less hope that they too may someday have a whole holiday named after them.
Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandela, and Vince Lombardi are widely recognized as being great leaders as well. These men, and so many other well known leaders, were brilliant at feigning love for, and sincere interest in those that followed them. Lombardi once said, "The leader can never close the gap between himself and the group. If he does, he is no longer what he must be." Mandela said, "A leader is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock... all along they are being directed from behind." Reagan once said, "There's purpose and worth to each and every life." Anyone who has read Ayn Rand, or knows more than five people, also knows this is false, but Reagan manipulated people into thinking he actually thought it was true. These men made an art out of making people think they cared about them, personally, which they obviously didn't, since they hadn't even met 10% of the people that followed and trusted them. And that's what leadership is all about. This method of manipulation is intricately explored in the book How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie.
You're welcome.
I'm Kate Marshall. And I'm Right.
Most of your views are quite logical and well thought out. I think this is an interesting topic to start "I'm Right- You're Wrong" out with, since both of us are so versed in the rules of, not just great leadership, but exceptional leadership. I'd like to extend, and also refute your argument so our public realizes the truth about the topic of leadership.
Some idiot once said, "You will never be a leader unless you first learn to follow and be led." Now, anyone who is an actual leader knows this statement to be utterly ridiculous. Like you said, Jamie, "every leader at some point was born." Most of the leaders we cherish, and follow now were born leaders. They didn't "grow" to become the type of person other people want to be like. To extend your Star Wars analogy, Darth Sidious, or Darth Maul never thought about setting an example for their followers. Nobody wanted to "be like" them. Those were some freaky looking, messed up dudes. But they had a massive following because people were afraid of the power they held in their very hands. Anakin Skywalker followed them because he knew he was born to someday become even more powerful. This, combined with fear, is what motivates people to follow. A truly powerful leader never thinks twice about his followers. He just acts, and is followed because people are naturally afraid. This is also the case with Hitler, Jafar, Caesar, Khalif Umar, Skeletor, Oprah, Muhammad Ali, and Captain Kirk.
I'd like to give hope to the hopeless here, though. If you weren't born with leadership midichlorians in your DNA, you can always manipulate people into thinking you were. Take Ghandi for example. He had no raw power, so he starved himself until people followed him. It's all about desire. He wanted it so bad he denied himself the simple pleasures that so many live for. Enough people finally felt bad enough for him that they said "Fine, we'll revere you as a human being so you'll stop this nonsense." That's a direct quote from a majority of his followers. Another good example of manipulation is Martin Luther King. He once explained his technique using these words, "A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus." He gives himself away here, admitting openly he "molds" people to concede to his way of thinking. But even in his blunder, he gives the DNA-less hope that they too may someday have a whole holiday named after them.
Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandela, and Vince Lombardi are widely recognized as being great leaders as well. These men, and so many other well known leaders, were brilliant at feigning love for, and sincere interest in those that followed them. Lombardi once said, "The leader can never close the gap between himself and the group. If he does, he is no longer what he must be." Mandela said, "A leader is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock... all along they are being directed from behind." Reagan once said, "There's purpose and worth to each and every life." Anyone who has read Ayn Rand, or knows more than five people, also knows this is false, but Reagan manipulated people into thinking he actually thought it was true. These men made an art out of making people think they cared about them, personally, which they obviously didn't, since they hadn't even met 10% of the people that followed and trusted them. And that's what leadership is all about. This method of manipulation is intricately explored in the book How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie.
You're welcome.
I'm Kate Marshall. And I'm Right.
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