To foster true leadership, the absence of authority is crucial. Otherwise, your followers are simply complying with your instructions, and you are essentially exerting command. There is nothing inherently wrong with exercising command, as it is often the preferred approach for many leaders. This is especially true in fields like the military and law enforcement, or when you require complete control over those under your guidance. However, for leaders aspiring to truly lead through influence and inspiration, trust must be established and maintained. Without trust, no one will willingly follow you.
This issue appears particularly relevant in modern times, particularly in the realm of political leadership. Political leaders should ideally embody the highest levels of integrity, honesty, humility, and, above all, trustworthiness.
The late John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, famously stated during his inauguration, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” This sentiment was rooted in a sense of service that used to prevail. However, in recent years, many politicians and other leaders seem to view themselves as superior to the people they are meant to serve. Rather than understanding that they have been elevated to positions of leadership to serve the interests of the people, they prioritize saying and doing whatever is necessary to secure their power and maintain their position. The consequence of this approach, particularly in the context of political competition between two parties, is the erosion of truth for the sake of victory. It seems that those vying for high office believe that winning and assuming leadership is essential to implementing their vision for the greater good. Sadly, in times where ideology outweighs scientific evidence and facts, and where the media and big businesses stand to benefit from aligning with one side of the political spectrum, the truth not only suffers but is often cast aside.
Integrity is just as essential as trust in effective leadership. It encompasses the trait of fulfilling one’s promises. Every leader has the responsibility to communicate honestly and follow through on their words. Making promises that cannot be kept or, worse, making promises with no intention of keeping them is unacceptable. It is also not acceptable to attribute your failure to keep your word to changing circumstances or to blame your predecessors once you assume office. Such behaviour demonstrates a lack of thoroughness and reflects poorly on leadership. Engaging in such practices indicates incompetence at best, but more likely a disregard for the truth.
The concept of truth itself has become a casualty of modern times. Many previously unquestionable and unchangeable truths are now dismissed by factions as “not my truth.” This shift has resulted in politics giving precedence to ideology, beliefs, and emotions over experience, science, and facts. Nowadays, even scientific findings and facts are frequently manipulated, with some scientists being influenced by financial or ideological alignment with a particular political party or viewpoint driven by self-interest. At least, this is what a significant portion of the population believes. This brings us back to the issue of trust. Regardless of where one falls on the political spectrum, trust in our leaders has been so heavily eroded that scepticism is widespread, and genuine trust in our leaders is scarce.
The erosion of trust in the integrity of political leaders has played out on the global stage, affecting countries such as the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, reaching an unprecedented low. This breakdown in trust has resulted in the fragmentation of Western societies, with people becoming divided along ideological and political lines, fuelled by dogmatic beliefs and animosity towards those who hold opposing views. The responsibility of effective leaders is to unite people, encouraging them to come together for the greater good and to achieve remarkable feats, rather than exacerbating divisions. Unfortunately, we have witnessed numerous instances of divisive leadership in the past five years or so, and it appears to be worsening. Contentious issues of global significance, such as globalization, pandemic lockdowns, vaccinations, climate concerns, renewable energy, gender identity, free speech, and the erosion of individual sovereignty, are prevalent and are causing harm to the social fabric.
What can be done? What should be done? What are we willing to do? In my belief, we need our leaders to shift their focus from pursuing victory at any cost to doing what is morally right. They must act with honesty, integrity, and a commitment to the greater good. To be trusted, leaders must first demonstrate trustworthiness, and the most effective way to ensure someone is trustworthy is to hold them accountable.
