Brain Food #555
What makes a good leader
Thoughts of the day
Political ethicists have pointed out that democracies can fall apart at the hands of leaders who possess no moral virtue. When faced with a crisis, where systems can crumble, those with a lack of an internal compass have no means to navigate.
Machiavelli, on the other hand, insisted that a good leader, when in a position of power, is free to do what might be perceived as wrong. The key challenge, then, would be to define exactly what makes a good leader.
Some of the world’s greatest minds, and leaders, have already attempted to do so:
"A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves."
— Lao Tzu
“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
“He who cannot be a good follower cannot be a good leader.”
― Aristotle
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
― Winston S. Churchill
"I think it is important to recognise that there are going to be conflicts in values. It is one thing to respect somebody’s religion, but what if that religion does not respect women? We have to accept there are contradictions in so much of life: sometimes there are two rights to reconcile or two wrongs to deal with."
— Barack Obama
Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix is one of the most renowned works of art on leadership. Amidst the apparent chaos of the scene, she stands strong.
Thank you for reading today’s Brain Food. If you were forwarded this email and you'd like to read more, you can sign up and receive it in your inbox Monday to Friday.
And if you love Brain Food and want the world to know about it, feel free to share it with them by using the button below or forwarding them this email.
If you have any questions, thoughts, or ideas you'd like to share, just hit reply.
Read longer Brain Food musings on Medium.