When we step back, we can see that these problems aren’t a verdict on leadership itself, but rather the human condition. Selfishness leads people to manipulate others for their own purposes. Unforgiven betrayal leads individuals to protect themselves from further hurt. Really, none of it is true leadership.
And we have to remind ourselves that relying on the wisdom of crowds is no guarantee of success. We can see examples of the fallibility of crowds all the way back to the masses who demanded Jesus’ crucifixion.
The Leadership We Need
Though there are some forms of leadership we don’t need, we’ve always needed leaders, and we always will. We have big things to accomplish, and the same cultural trends that can steer us away from leadership can also empower well-led organizations more than ever.
Social media, the Internet, mobile devices and more can help us build schools, topple malicious regimes and bring the hope of Christ into people’s everyday lives. We need strong leaders who can rally support and champion causes.
Perfect leadership has been modeled for us in the Bible through Jesus Himself. In the book Lead Like Jesus, Ken Blanchard shares that leaders are defined by how they use their influence. Are we serving others or serving ourselves? How are pride and fear shaping our decisions? I encourage you and your team to read this book together and wrestle with how leadership should function within your organization.