Do a Google image search for "leadership", and half the images are of chess sets. This is terrible. Is that really the best analogy for leadership: a king and his pawns?
This blog post will be a book review (!) of sorts. I just finished three books by Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Ender's Shadow), and am in the middle of a book by Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Lost Prince).
They all have a common thread. Leadership. They're also inspiring reads.
Ender Wiggin is a boy whose destiny is to save the planet Earth from an alien civilization known as the Buggers. He's manipulated, pushed, and flat-out lied to by the adults in his life, while expected to earn the trust, respect, and loyalty of his fellow boy commanders.
His strength is his ability to be the invisible man--eliminating distractions and removing obstacles from those in his charge. He's an enabler, a teacher, a catalyst. He's uncompromising in his expectations of others, but this very characteristic forces them to be the very best they can be. He loves those serving under him, and they love him fiercely in return.
Ender Wiggin is a leader.
Not a delegator.
Not a manager.
A leader.
Stefan Loristan is another leader. He treats everyone with respect. When he talks to you, you feel that you're the center of the Universe. You're treated as an equal, whether you're his 12-year old son, a street urchin named "Rat", or a dire enemy. A leader looks you in the eye, tells you what you need to know, and listens to you.
A leader doesn't let circumstances affect how he treats those who depend on him. A leader always does the right thing. There's no oxymoron so strong as an undependable leader.
I want to be a leader.
Not a king of pawns.
Not a master of servants.
Not a manager of employees.
A leader.
Until next time,
- Daniel
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