Leader or Lone Nut?

Truth be told I cannot really take credit for the above title – its simply far too catchy and appropriate for what I'm writing, given that many of my thoughts will culminate with a discussion of the video from which this title emerged.

With that in mind, there are many takes on the word “leadership” and truth be told, they are not very specific. The Google definition provides the following options:
1) The action of leading a group of people or an organization
2) The state or position of being a leader
3) The leaders of an organization, country, etc
4) The ability to lead skillfully
Most of us have our own concepts of what leadership is and I think the above list of definitions is more vague that what most people think.

I, like many of you, have attended high school. I am now teaching at a high school. High school has a strange dynamic of leadership – with appointed student leaders, students with no position who do the most to inspire others and a natural hierarchy of the various classes. Each of these has aspects of leadership in their own right, but are they momentary characteristics, or are they what make good leaders.

Consider those who are appointed student leaders. Fortunately, they are often elected from a group that sees them worthy for other reasons, not just the title of the position. However, these positions are given to students who are academically accomplished, socially savvy, and to some extent confident. While I would argue that all of these traits have their value and merit, none of them should singularly designate one a leader.

What about the natural hierarchy of a school? Frequently, the upperclassmen are considered the leaders of the school. This however often does not make sense. It's not rare (speaking generally) to find an institution where upperclassmen haze new students as a “rite of passing”. This in turn leads to the same event in future years. Should a leader not be someone who chooses to break that cycle rather than perpetuate it? How about the seniors who have been admitted to college and slack off on their work? No part of that behavior is an inspiration to other members of a community. Sure, there are always individuals in a class who will shine and motivate, but those are who we would call leaders anyway – without ever disguising them with brands of class or position.

If you and one hundred other people sat down to make a list of characteristics that defined a good leader, much of those lists would likely be the same. Some key words might include inspiring, confident, charismatic, selfless, trustworthy, etc. The list goes on. In more specific roles of leadership these keywords might change or vary, but the essence of what they stand for remains the same. I now point you to a very famous video of one who is by many considered among the best leaders ever:

I Have A Dream

There is no doubt that MLKJ is confident. He speaks loudly and clearly, with thoughts that pierce to the heart of the audience. There's no doubt that he is courageous. He never hangs his head, looks away or quivers with anticipation. But most inspiring are the words he chooses and the obviousness at which he believes in everything he says. While all of these features are traits we commonly associate with leaders, they are not the traits that made him the figure he is today. He was willing to stand up alone for a cause and hope others would follow – which they did. While in this clip he was clearly not alone, there had to have been a beginning, and at that time he had to have done something first. That moment is what made him a leader. That moment when he was not a man with followers, but a lone nut preaching ideas. To stand up alone and carry on with the aforementioned characteristics is what makes a leader.

The most determining feature of a leader is the ability to inspire and motivate. It can be for global movements, such as Martin Luther King JR. and the Civil Rights Movement, or it could be a new senior on a varsity team who decides to carry the water instead of making a rookie do it. A leader is one who stands out from what is viewed as normal and does something different to make a change. Below is a regular man, at a regular event that makes a difference:

The Lone Nut

The video voices most of the thoughts by itself. The obvious leader is the man originally dancing on the hill. This is not a major event, and it will not hold any textbook page for history class. But, it was an individual who stood up alone and pursued his beliefs and was later followed. What this video addresses however is more than just the crazy beginning of leadership, but that there is more than one leader in the story. The man who began to follow first, is by necessity going to be as exposed and ridiculous as the person who began. In many ways, they are more at risk because they are following what another believes is fun, taking the chance that it might not be what they themselves enjoy. It is this person that shows the rest it is harmless. It is this person that shows the rest its worth doing. As is said, if you really want to make a difference, you don't always need to put down the foot first and make the trail yourself. It might be more worthwhile to find someone already trying, and show others how to follow them.

This is where the phrase “leadership or lone nut” came from. After watching that video its not even particularly creative (for me to use it). However, I thought it did a terrific job of explaining a side of leadership that is "under appreciated". That draws an end to what I wanted to say about what it takes to be a leader, but before closing there is another side of leadership I wanted to touch on. Remember that leaders create movements, turn tides, and impact lives. When you choose to be a leader, make sure you know where to lead, and lead in a positive direction. Below is another video of another man who was an effective leader:

Hitler's First Speech

I'd like to issue a brief disclaimer that I certainly don't agree with how he lead, but am speaking towards what he did to be an effective leader to the people. Comparing his speech to that of MLKJ, they are both confident, they stand before large crowds, they make themselves one with those to whom they are addressing. They speak about "we" and the their goals not for themselves, but for the future and their countries. They make themselves not above their cause, but a part of it. In looking only at their speeches, the two are both terrific leaders, but history remembers one as a hero and one as a horror.

So, remember 2 things if you find yourself in the position of a leader. First, lead in the correct direction. Second, if you're a leader, you are a role model and people will look up to you. As a friend and colleague once said, "We fall much harder than we rise." Leading is hard and it can often be tiresome. If you're a leader, and a good one, you will be a leader always. Be a good leader and don't take breaks from it. Its a long and steep downhill from there.